A Game of Distrust
by Loser-with-Candy
Summary: School trips are suppose to be fun. Except when a massive storm traps Lux and all her classmates inside mansion for two weeks. To escape boredom and to kill time, Jinx gathers everyone into a game where friends become enemies and trust gets thrown out the window. Time for a thrilling game of 'Murder'. Can Lux come out on top? She can't lose, especially with the stakes Ahri raised.
1. The Game Begins

Disclaimer: I do not own League of Legends or any of the Characters

A/N: This story takes place within the same Star Guardian/High School AU as my other story [Even Endless Stairlight Begins Somewhere], but isn't a direct sequel and is more like a self contained stand-alone story. Actually very little Star Guardian lore will be referenced in this and can almost be dismissed entirely. So reading my previous story might not be require, but I'd greatly appreciate it if you do decide to read it.

Since almost every fandom has their 'Truth or Dare' story, I decided to write my own 'Party Game' Trope story. But since I want to try to be somewhat original, this story was inspired by a different game. One I'm sure others had played before but I don't think anyone else had written about. The long form bluff/ambush game of 'Murder'. The rules of which will be explained within the story. Though there's somewhat set rules you can find on the internet, I made up a variation that would make writing a story around this game a bit easier. If you had heard of this game or even played it before, tell me about it, I'd love to hear your own stories of it.

On with the show~!

* * *

The school trip to the countryside mansion was supposed to be a three day long affair. Something to show the students the beauty and culture of the world while also giving them a break from school. The students were supposed to explore the nearby historic city while being able to shop at niche souvenir stores, and for a little while enjoy the time of their youth. Sadly, mother nature seemed to have a different plan.

The sudden monsoon came rolling in as soon as the bus came rolling up the the mansion's courtyard. Obscuring the old building from everyone inside the bus. Lux and her friends all crowded the windows to tried to look out but were met with dark shadows and heavy rain. She could hear Ezreal and Jayce already sighing at what they saw.

"Ah man… this sucks." Jayce said, already pulling his jacket over his wide frame.

"For real, I think the ground is ninety percent mud at this point." Ezreal said. "We're gonna get soaked as soon as we step out of the bus…"

"Not only that but the hot springs are outside…" Jayce complained further. That last comment was met with mixed response. Some agreed that it wasn't fair that they won't get to enjoy the outdoor hot springs. Others were relieved because the ones that complained were the more unscrupulous of classmates. "Our trip is ruined."

"I mean it's still a big mansion. It could be fun to explore it. I'm just disappointed we won't get to see the city if this keeps up." Lux said, eyes trailing the many windows of the old building. The mansion turned countryside hotel was a favored spot for school trips as it was close to the nearby city that house the many old castles and historic landmarks. The ten minutes that needed to be drove up also meant that the city didn't have to deal with rowdy students getting out in the world for the first time. "There is a really old fortress that is said to have house an ancient army made of sandstone. The last emperor of Shurima was said to have made it for-"

"Pft dork." Ahri said from behind Lux, interrupting the girls triad. Her spot on the bus meant she was seated at the back with her own friends. Sarah, Syndra and first year Soraka. Sarah and Syndra looked indifferent from Ahri's teasing, and Soraka looked timid to stop her older friend. "What sucks is that the school isn't going to reimburse us for the money we spent to even get here." Ahri huffed and leaned back.

Ezreal pursed his lips at Ahri and rolled his eyes at her. He nudged Lux, trying to continue on what Lux was saying. "We can explore the mansion if you want. I read up on some architecture about the place. It's styled as an old Ionian building with Piltovian influences. Made back during the late industrial revolution when-"

"OMG, you dorks are so meant for each other."

"Hey just leave them alone, jeez" Jayce said. "I think you're just jealous that you can't keep a boyfriend for five minutes."

"You take that back."

Everyone started to argue. The bus beginning to grow rambunctious after being stuck for so long. Ms. Laurent sitting up front rubbed her temples as she let all her students continue on. She couldn't do anything anyways, Coach Braum was sent out ahead to check on current weather reports to determine whether they should stay like intended or head back to Valoran. When she got a text from her fellow teacher she sighed in relief. She stood up and with one glare everyone settled down instantly. She held up her phone, the detailed text from Braum on display even if no one could read the screen from their seats.

"Good news, we'll be going ahead with our planned school trip" She paused to let any stragglers come to attention. "Everyone please get in orderly lines, outside is still heavy with rain so we must act quickly to retrieve your bags and head inside."

Some students groaned, already dreading the rain they're meant to walk through.

…

Inside the mansion the lobby was MASSIVE. It had high almost cathedral like ceilings with a double set of indoor balconies that show off the second and third floors. The meticulous laid wood flooring was pristine, polished to a mirror finish, and the rug that trailed from the entrance to the front desk was a beautiful red and gold. The place was awash with so much fine living that all the rain soaked students were surprised that their school could even afford a place like this. Then they all remembered how much they had to shell up to come along. Lux was admiring the crowning that detailed the corners of the walls and ceiling while Ezreal took note of the seating arrangements strategically place around the entrance hall. Enough to look like it filled the place while also spaced out to allow privacy between each cluster of seats.

"You weren't kidding. This place does have old Piltovian aesthetics." Lux said.

"Right? But look look." Ezreal swept his hand to the rugg at their feet. "This is a Noxus styled rug. The kind the old aristocrats would use to style their homes."

"Wow." Lux took a step closer. "This whole place is like an amalgamation of several cultures in one."

Ahri shook her head as she approached the two. "So this place has a bunch of old junk. I can't wait for the rain to just, like, stop already." She whipped her hair around and rung it out. Many little droplets falling to the floor and staining the nice carpet. "If Ms. Laurent said we're going ahead with this trip, that must mean the rain is gonna end soon."

"Good point. I can't wait to see that old fortress." Ezreal said, as Lux eyes lit up too.

They were hurriedly along as more students came inside the lobby. Lux could see her friends, Poppy and Lulu pulling the suitcases along the marble floor. She gave them a smile and wave and turned to the staff managing the front desk. After handing in her name she was given a key and room number.

"You will be sharing a room with five other students, it'll be large enough to accommodate you all comfortably. All have their own key, if you lose it a small fee will be sent along to the school. Girls and Boys will be on separate floors. Baths are open all day, except for the outdoor springs, which will be closed until notified otherwise." The manager informed Lux with a smile, which looked well practiced. "Dinner will be served at five tonight at the main dining hall. Please don't miss it as the cooking staff won't be serving food past the scheduled hours."

Lux took the key and thanked the helpful staff. The key was an old styled one, looks like this place didn't have electric locks. No wonder there'd be a fee if it was lost. She looked at her room number. "Hmm 315. Third floor."

"I got 209." Ezreal said holding his own key up. "Boys got the second floor while girls get the third."

"Planning a midnight rendezvous?" Ahri said. She chuckled at the blushed response the two gave her. "Well better luck next time. They gave the room keys out first come first serve, I'm rooming with you Lux." She held up her own key and sure enough Lux saw the little tag that read 315.

Lux's smile dimmed a little. She didn't mind Ahri, despite her constant teasing. She just wish she'd had got to spend her free time with Janna and her other, much closer friends. This was going to be her first school trip ever, so she wanted to make good memories with everyone while they still could.

Ezreal adjusted his grip on his bag, letting the weight shift onto his other shoulder "C'mon let's drop off our bags, and get exploring. We got an hour before dinner."

Lux nodded and waved goodbye to Ahri.

…

Dinner came along much faster than Lux thought it would. The mansion was so big that she was sure she'd get lost if it wasn't so neatly laid out. The whole building was a squared U shape. The main wing, and an east and west wing. There was many, many rooms for everyone to use, and there was also a library and observatory. Both were currently closed off as the library was under investigation if any shelves held unknown books. (something she learned was ongoing for the past year.) and the observatory's old telescope was being repaired. That upset Lux, as it meant that there was very little for her to do while in the mansion. Sure there were other rooms set up as rec rooms, table games and lounges set around tvs. That was where she found the majority of the students and classmates waiting. But she was honestly excited to know about the old mansion.

So when Lux sat down next to Ezreal for dinner she was bummed out.

"It's okay Lux. There's still the city." Ezreal said.

Others came in clusters. A few cliques dragging their feet as they came in last in the dining hall. Everyone scrambled to get a seat, some fighting as they couldn't get a seat next to their friends or having to seat next to someone they greatly disliked. At one end of the table was the teachers. Ms. Laurent sat at the head of the table with Coach Braum at her right, and Professor Ryze at her left. They looked deep in conversation as Ryze was looking at something on his phone. Braum smiled, though for anyone who knew him they could see he was forcing it. Ms. Laurent was rubbing her temples again.

She waited as all the students got seated. The new information she and her fellow teachers knew would definitely cause a commotion among the students and she hated that it was obviously going to fall onto her to announce it. As the food was passed around, the wait staff being far too nice to the rowdy teens, Ms. Laurent waited until everyone had a plate in front of them. They at least had the manners to wait for their teacher before starting to eat. As the final plate was placed in front of her, Ms. Laurent stood to grab everyone's attention.

"As everyone already knows. The sudden monsoon had thrown a wrench in our school's planned field trip." She said evenly. "I'm...uh apprehensive to say this, but while we had previously planned to go ahead with the trip, there has been some troubling news about the monsoon." She paused, and could see everyone already coming to their own conclusions. She knew what everyone is thinking. "Because of the state of the weather, an emergency warning has been placed for this region. We won't be allowed to leave the mansion for the," Ms. Laurent took a big deep breath, "the next two weeks."

Everything erupted at that moment.

Lux had to cover her ears, everyone was being so loud. She looked down to see her teachers trying their best to consol their students. It was doing little to actually help. She herself was upset, she had only packed for the three days and an extra set of clothing for emergencies. That meant she had four days worth of clothing to wear for the next fourteen days. She groaned at that. She looked to Ezreal who seemed to be arguing with Jayce about getting back to Piltover. They had a event planned that now seemed to be moot. Lulu and Veigar were trying ignore their fellow yordles as Teemo and Rumble got on each other's nerves. Jinx was actually egging people on, the little troublemaker.

Ms. Laurent clapped her hand against the table. That got everyone's attention. "Please! Everyone calm down. I know this is greatly upsetting but my fellow teachers and I will talk with the staff here to plan things out. Get extra meals and other accommodations in place. In the meantime, you are given free time to spend as you please. Remember the rules and your time schedules, any problems report to Coach Braum or myself." As the dining hall quieted back down to hushed whispers among friends, Ms. Lauren continued on. "Lights out is at ten each night and everyone is expected to be in their room by nine. Once you're done with dinner, you are free to enjoy the rec rooms or head straight to your assigned room."

* * *

Two days later, everyone wasn't surprised to see that the storm hadn't let up. Only now it was becoming grating for the students to stay indoors all day. Those that hadn't planned well for the school trip were given some kimonos by the staff, something reserved for the guests who stayed mainly for the hot spring. The only upside was that the staff were able to get the canopy in place for the hot springs, so that was now open for use. The canopies were way more sturdy than any thought they would be, so even if some rain trickled around it, it stayed in place despite the raging wind. Coach Braum had went into great detail about the punishments for any who got caught spying between baths.

With all but the planned meals still on the itinerary the students had become wracked with boredom. Everyone milled about the rec rooms, playing games or idly chatting with one another. There were several rooms so none felt crowded, though stagnation was creeping in steadily. Lux was sitting among her friends, Janna, Lulu, Poppy, and Jinx, and Ezreal and his friends, Jayce and Ekko (How'd that happened?), playing old maid. She had a hand full of cards and was looking to pull a pair to match from Lulu's hand. She pulled out the two of clubs and smiled, pairing it up with her two of diamonds. Ezreal sitting next to her decided to pick from Janna's hand. Poor decision as Janna had an impressive poker face.

Their game was interrupted as Jinx sighed loudly and threw her cards up in the air. "This sucks!"

"Jinx!" Lux said trying to clean the sudden mess.

"C'mon Sparkles you can't really think this is fun. This is booooooring." Jinx said crossing her arms. "We've been stuck in here for two days, and I'm fed up."

Ezreal put his cards down, he had pulled the old maid and was ok with cutting the game short. "Can't be helped the TVs have poor reception cause of the rain and the only games provided were these classic board games. Unless you want to join the others playing ping pong, this is all we got."

Jinx rubbed her chin an idea beginning to form. "Wait here, I got an idea."

"No, your ideas get us in trouble." Poppy protested. "Last time you said you got an idea, we got kicked out of the zoo."

"No no this is gonna be great I just got to get more people involved." Jinx leapt up from her seat and rushed out of the room.

The others watched her go. She whispered something to some students, they shrugged and pointed down the hall. She smirked and rushed out of sight. Everyone gave each other a look. Some confused others wary. Lux finished cleaning the cards, noting Ezreal had the old maid and gave him a dirty look. He laughed it off, the game is over so it didn't matter.

...

They didn't have to wait long as Jinx came back with mass of people. She explained to everyone that they will be playing a single game over the course of their two week stay. They were all scattered around the rec room sitting in various chairs and sofas and even some were on the floor, and were waiting for the manic girl to start explaining what was going on. When everyone was seated Jinx closed the door shut so they had privacy. Something was putting Lux on edge but if it's a game, how bad could it be?

Seated around the room was Ahri, her friends Sarah, Syndra, and Soraka, behind her. Lux could also see Vi and Caitlyn, Vi seemed excited to play. Among the rest of the crowd was Quinn who looked apprehensive to tag along, and Talon of all people leaning against the wall near the door. The rest Lux didn't know too well. She recognized Akali as she shared classes with her. The others she had to guess as; Taliyah who was Ekko's classmate, Xayah and her boyfriend Rakan, Ashe and Sejuani were famous frenemies in the school, Tobias she only knew because Ezreal said he'd played cards with him once (and lost badly), Kayn she heard some interesting rumors about, and Tristana was Poppy's friend. The last person to trail in was unexpected, Veigar snuck in with his hat pushed far down on his head.

As everyone watched, Jinx took center stage with Ahri standing up beside her. Jinx opened her arms wide "We're all gonna be playing a game" Jinx smiled. "A game of trust and distrust, with a high stakes and delicious rewards."

"What rewards?" Ahri stepped in as if on queue, "Well the humiliation of your fellow students of course." That got everyone's attention. While some looked more hesitant to join now, they were too curious to back down.

"The game is called. 'Murder', at least that's what its called where I'm from." Jinx said. At the mention of the game Ekko actually laughed and looked excited to play now, and Vi smirked knowingly. Before anyone could interrupt Jinx pressed on. "The rules are simple." She pointed to the deck of cards on the table and Ekko scooped them up. She began to pass out a card and a pen to each person. "Listen up I'm only going to explain them once. Everyone write your name on their card."

As everyone wrote their name Jinx laid out the rules.

* * *

 **Rules of Murder**

Everyone is a 'Murderer', their goal is to murder the other players and be the last one standing.

Everyone has a card. Each card has the name of a player on it.

When the game begins, all cards are shuffled, and then passed out. One to each player. If anyone gets their own name, reshuffle.

The name on the card is the player's target, the one they have to 'murder'.

Too murder, the 'Murderer' has to be alone with their target and show them the card with their name on it. 'Alone' constitutes as having no line of sight to any other players. The target is now considered dead, and must give up their card.

That new card is the new target.

Non-players of the game don't count towards determining if another player is alone. (It'd be hard to explain to non-players what you're up to anyhow)

Cards can be traded between two players, but both have to show their targets to one another and agree on the trade. A trade can't happen if it results in a player becoming their own target.

Players may show who their intended target is to another player if they want to.

Safe zones include bedrooms (their own bedroom not any bedroom), the baths, and the dinning hall. Players cannot be murdered while in these areas even if alone.

Once murdered the player is 'dead'. Players cannot lie about being dead or not.

For the rest of the game dead players are also considered 'ghosts' when determining if a target is alone or not. That means; If player A is a ghost, they cannot stop player B from being murdered by player C, even if all three were in a room together.

If two players try to 'murder' each other, as in they were one another's target, they fail and the two continue on playing. Spying and trading cards is essential to get out of the stalemate.

* * *

"Everyone got it?" Jinx asked as people finished writing on their cards.

"Wait." Tobias raised his hand. "Say we go through everyone and in the end there's two people left. They'd obviously have each other's card. That last rule becomes moot."

Vi spoke up, card ready to be shuffled. "Depends on the version of the game. When I played, the rules were totally different. Before all you had to do was sneak up and tag the person, we called it 'Gotcha!'. So the last two just had to get the jump on one another first."

"Yeah that one is usually more fun." Ekko said. "Also there's supposed to be a no trading rule cause we all passed our cards around in a ring. One big loop."

"Both of you shut it, we'll be doing the version because of where we are. Last thing we need is Mr. Laurent cutting the game short cause someone busts open a door 'accidentally', right Fat Hands?" Jinx sent Vi a smug look, while Vi looked at the ground sheepishly. "This way, there's a bit more subtly and tact involved. We are starting with a shuffle instead of a ring so targets are randomized better, and trading is involved so we can open any loops that might happen. And so we can end the game with only a single winner, we'll be adding Hitman rules too." Jinx said.

* * *

 **HITMAN (Variant Rules)**

Players can give their target card to another player, dead or alive, to murder the target for them.

In this case Cards must be on the player at all times.

At any point, another alive player may ask to see a player's target card, they then must present the card, if they cannot then they are killed instead. Presenting the card doesn't have to reveal the intended target, but can be shared if the player wants.

* * *

"So if Ekko and I are both the last players standing, we need to get a Hitman to do the murder for us, but if at any point we suspect the other to have a Hitman themselves, we can call them out on it and win instead." Jinx said. "This also keeps dead players still active in the game."

"We can use a Hitman at any point in the game?" Jayce asked.

"Yeah, in that case, whoever gets called out is treated as if they were murdered and we exchange cards normally." Ekko said.

"Everyone got their cards ready?" Jinx asked, starting to gather all the cards.

"Pass." Veigar said. Still holding a blank card.

"Aww c'mon Veigar, it'll be fun." Lulu said

He pointed at Ahri, "She said losers get humiliated. I'm going to preemptively say 'no' to this."

Lulu knew better than to push on this subject and decided it was better to leave him to his own choice. "Can Veigar be referee or something instead?"

"Yeah, that's fine. I have an idea how he can sorta play along." Ahri nodded, "Now that Jinx is done explaining her half of the game, here is the incentive to win, the reward per se." That got everyone's attention. "Anytime you successfully eliminate another player through a hitman or not, they become your personal MAID for the rest of the school trip. They must do everything and anything you say, no matter how humiliating. Do not hold back, because knowing half the people here, they definitely won't."

This gave everyone pause. They were all for playing this long end bluffing/ambushing game just to kill time, but now that there was some stakes at play… oof. It was also true that half the players wouldn't mind making others publicly make fools of themselves. And in certain cases, there were a few gunning for a single person to be their maid.

"Hell yeah I'm in." Jayce said.

"Yeah sure sounds like fun." Sarah said, eyes glinting mischievously.

"There's no way I'm passing this up." Quinn said with excitement, already knowing who she wants as a Maid

After the first set there was a chorus of agreements that followed, some more hesitant than others. It seemed like the game just became all that more interesting. Ahri smiled at how easy it was to get people to go along with her high stakes if it meant not having to deal with boredom. Originally she wanted to do something along the lines of dare cards for the eliminated players, but a game that takes place over the course of days didn't really lend itself to short term rewards such as dares. Though… maybe later…

She motioned to Veigar, "Since you're not really playing this is what we'll have you do instead. Veigar will keep track of everyone who still in the game, eliminations normal and hitman style have to be shared with him as soon as you make the kill, and he'll keep everyone else up to date on everyone's status. He will have to be present for all Trades, so you can't just force someone to swap targets. Finally he'll also keep track of who owns who as a maid. By the time this game is over, there should be one king or queen to rule them all."

Veigar nodded along. Okay with these terms, after all, no one said he can't play his own games to make it harder for some. "During the game, if a player is eliminated they don't have to share it with other players, only me?"

Jinx nodded, "Yeah. Usually there'd be a group chat or email that does this for us, but I think cause of the storm, no one has any reception up here. So you are the ref like Lulu wanted."

"Okay, sounds fair. I'll keep to this rec room or my room, so I'm easy to find."

Sensing that the rules explaining is over, she began to hand out the target cards. Fanning them out wide so each person can choose any card they wanted. Gave them a sense of agency over their choice. Staring from one end of the room to the other. Each person took their card and looked at the name on it. Some were very poor at keeping their face blank.

Caitlyn read her card and looked over to Ashe in an instant, and regretted it as the two locked eyes. Ashe smirked and Caitlyn mentally cursed. Sejuani watched the two carefully, having Ashe be her maid would make being stuck in here so worth it.

Talon caught Quinn looking at him, and he gave the girl a wink. She huffed and looked away. He kept his card close to his chest, knowing already how to plan around who his target is.

Jayce played it off by looking at everyone in the room in the eye. A bit unorthodox but effective, no one knew if they were his target or not.

The veterans of the game Vi, Ekko and Jinx all stuffed their cards in their pocket to look at later. No point in looking if others can read your face.

Tobias Fate, a natural at these bluffing games also kept his card hidden from his own view, so he may look at it in privacy.

Xayah and Rakan already showed each other their cards. They were weighing if they should trade right away or not.

Lux tried her best to keep from looking at anyone, she was a terrible liar after all. Eyes bouncing around everywhere that wasn't occupied. Ezreal decided to stick by her, he'd hate to see her become someone's maid.

Ahri was huddle together with Sarah and Soraka, discussing a strategy. While Syndra decided to strike out on her own, only to be intercepted into an alliance by Kayn.

Poppy pulled Lulu and Tristana together. As Tristana had both Teemo and Rumble wrapped around her finger (whether she wanted to admit that or not) Poppy believed they can use them. After all it wasn't against the rules to have non-players do spying for them.

Akali kept her face cool. Just as Janna also kept her face very neutral. Their eyes met, and Janna raised an eyebrow at her. Akali didn't know what that meant, but decided to play it on the safe side and avoid the girl.

All that left was Taliyah who only really knew her classmates. So her target wasn't someone she knew already by name. Which meant she was screwed if she couldn't figure out who this was.

"Wait can we all introduce ourselves?" Taliyah asked thumbing her card anxiously.

Jinx shook her head. "Nope. Let the game begin."

In an instant Ekko rushed out of the room. That made everyone panic and start their own mad dash without fully thinking it through if that was a good idea or not.

* * *

 **Players Status**

Lux - Alive

Jinx - Alive

Janna - Alive

Poppy - Alive

Lulu - Alive

Ahri - Alive

Sarah Fortune - Alive

Syndra - Alive

Soraka - Alive

Ezreal - Alive

Jayce - Alive

Ekko - Alive

Vi - Alive

Caitlyn - Alive

Quinn - Alive

Talon - Alive

Ashe - Alive

Sejuani - Alive

Taliyah - Alive

Akali - Alive

Tristana - Alive

Rakan - Alive

Xayah - Alive

Tobias Fate - Alive

Kayn - Alive

* * *

A/N: And that's a wrap. This is going to be a nice change of pace from my last story. One that isn't as heavy in themes and more light hearted in general. I'll be keeping the chapters much shorter than I usually write. And I'll be playing around with how this story will be structured. I'm not sure if I want to only follow Lux or if I want to jump around from character to character. Either way I'm excited for this. And while I know I still have the final chapter to release for EESBS, I needed the break, and give myself something different to write about.

Tell me if what you all think about this. If you have any predictions on who is going to win, or if you even like this sort of story. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Anyways, see you all soon, love you, bye!


	2. Drawing First Blood

**[Day 1 of Murder - Day 3 of School Trip - Afternoon]**

Vi was smart, maybe not book smart like Caitlyn or Lux, but street smart. She knew how to handle people and when it came to sizing up your opponents, especially in a ring, there was no one better. In a game such as this, there was two things to always keep an eye out for. Seekers, those who actively went out to try and eliminate as many people as they could, players like Ekko always went on the hunt, waiting around corners and in dark spots for a surprise ambush. And hidders, players that want to stay hidden for as long as possible, finding secluded spots no one else would think of, and wait out the game until they were the last one standing. Vi was both, a variable wolf in sheep's clothing.

As soon as Ekko ran off, trying to break line of sight and circle back around no doubt, Vi did the opposite. She stuck around, see who panicked and did the same, and who tried to remain calm. She shook her head as she noticed Caitlyn run after Ashe, poor girl was going to get picked off first with a poor poker face like that, and as much as she loved her girlfriend, this was a game she didn't want to lose. Sorry Cupcake, love didn't stop her competitiveness. Vi made sure that there was at least two other players within her view at all times, and hovered among the different groups. Lux had been whispering to Ezreal since EKko ran off, they smiled at one another. They probably thought they could trust each other. They turned to pester Jinx, who was trying her best to hover around like Vi was. Except was intercepted by Lux. Vi let them be, she didn't want to cling to others, not just yet. She still didn't know who her intended target was, and wouldn't until she was safe in her room. For now it was all about scouting out the competition.

She needed to find out who has her card, and snooping through other people's stuff was the fastest way to do that. Was it a little wrong, absolutely, but there was no way she was going to lose.

…

Talon liked to people watch. Which sounded kinda creepy when said aloud. He watched carefully as teams formed. Some were forming just because they were each others friends, and they trusted one another. Groups like Lux, Ezreal, and Jinx, the latter being forced along after much insistence by Lux with an impressive set of puppy dog eyes. Bad idea in his opinion. If you trusted someone in this game, it'll be all that much easier for them to deceive you down the line. Even those you think you could outsmart can pull a fast one on you. Other groups were forming because a player forced those around them to follow their lead, Poppy was charging ahead with the other two yordles in tow. That was a sound tatic in theory, there was no insurance that the other members of the group weren't going to hunt within their ranks. Talon didn't need a group or a team. Just a truce.

He looked down at his card and smirked. This is going to require some finesse. He slowly followed after Quinn, the girl was trying to be sneaky following after Poppy's group. He didn't know which of the three Quinn was after, but it hardly mattered to him.

As she rounded the corner she let out a curse. Talon raised an eyebrow, and when he rounded the corner himself he knew why. The hall opened up to a cross section. Quinn was looking down each one, trying to relocate her prey.

"Awww, lost them already?" Talon said stepping up next to Quinn.

"Ah, Talon!" Quinn spun on her heel and then her eyes when wide as she realized they were the only two in the hallway.

"Relax" He held up his hands.

"Show me your card."

"Trust me when I say, you don't want me to do that…"

That made Quinn narrow her eyes at him. "You have my card." Not exactly a question, though the twitch of a smile that played across his smug face told her all that she needed.

"Oh, got me." He held out the card, the back facing to her. "Yes I do." Quinn was about to turn tail when Talon wrapped an arm around her. "Calm down little bird. I'm not gonna eliminate you. Cause if I did then that would ruin my plan."

"What plan?"

"I'm gonna force a stalemate between us, that way we don't have to worry about anyone else but us."

"Wha- that'd be so dumb." Quinn shrugged off his arm. She didn't want to stalemate with Talon, she wanted to beat him. "I'm not gonna do that."

"If you don't." Talon held up the card, back still facing Quinn, "I'll just eliminate you, and then force you to do what I want anyways."

He winked at her again. Quinn wanted to protest, but knew better. It would be better to be forced into a alliance than be this jerk's maid right off the bat.

…

"We ain't gonna trade right away?." Rakan asked, hands behind his head all carefree. He wasn't much of a thinker, planner, or- whatever. Xayah does all that for him, she's way better at it than he is. With her brains, and his good looks, they'll win this game for sure.

"Just stick with the card you have now. Ahri's much smarter than she lets on, I need to keep her card just in case." Xayah said leading her boyfriend down the hallway. "Soraka on the other hand is clingy as all hell. She won't leave Ahri's side anytime soon."

"Not without incentive."

The two shared a look. A plan forming between the two.

…

Lux went straight back to her room. It was a safe zone (for her at least), so that meant she'd be safe there. She also invited Ezreal along, and, after some insistence, made Jinx come along too. With the three of them all in the room, none of them could be eliminated easily. The place was spacious, as all the rooms were. Whoever designed this building when it first was constructed expected it to house many guests all at once. The room was large, it had five futons scattered across the room, soft tatami mats cushioned the floor and there was a sliding door in the back that lead to a balcony. The balcony door was shut firmly, and every now and then it shook against the wind and rain. It was almost relaxing despite the current circumstances. Lux thumbed her card, looking at the scrawled name on it. She had to play very carefully if she wanted to win especially with her current target. Ezreal sat right next to Lux on her futon, he was looking at his own card, hand rubbing his chin in deep thought. He was no doubt planning out his own next move. Jinx was lounging on someone's futon across from them, blanket rolled up to make a second pillow to prop her up. The blue hair girl was staring at the ceiling chewing on one of her braids.

"So…" Ezreal started out of the blue. "What's the plan, or how does this thing start?"

"Eh. Changes from game to game. Some kills happen right as the game begins other games have a day of nothing happening." Jinx shrugged. "Strats change from player to player too. Vi's no doubt trying to sus out who has her card and plan around that."

"You can do that?" Lux asked

"Well yeah." Jinx leaned forward so her hands propped her up. "This game is all about stalking and pouncing people. Finding out who each other's targeting is obvious. It's a riot, once the paranoia sets in. It'll only gonna get worse once Ahri gets a hold of those maid uniforms."

That made Lux choke. "Wait, what!?"

"Oh yeah, when I suggested playing, Ahri jumped at the chance to raise the stakes. So while I rounded everyone up, she went to talk to the staff. The staff is just as bored as we are, apparently, so I'm sure they'd get a kick out of the whole deal too. One even said she had plenty of spares we can borrow." Jinx leaned back down, brushing off the revelation as if it was nothing. Ezreal and Lux looked a bit apprehensive at the new bit of information. "We weren't gonna bring it up until the first elimination happened. Make it a fun twist."

"You seem so sure you won't be wearing a maid uniform…" Ezreal said, arms crossing his chest.

"That's cause I'm GOOD at this game." Jinx stuck her tongue out. "I mean, no offense to you two, but you guys probably won't last that long. Both of ya have like the worst tells. Lux bites her lip each time she lies, and looks at the floor. And Ezreal has that weird forced laugh"

"No I don't!" Ezreal laughed like he put too much effort into it.

"Point proven." Jinx looked so smug in her spot atop the futon. Acting like it was a throne she won. Her smile died to a evil smirk, as she narrowed her eyes. "You two will look soooo cute in those uniforms. I'd bet Ez can really rock a skirt if he wanted to."

Ezreal pulled his kimono tighter around his waist. Disliking how Jinx's gaze fluttered over him. She was only teasing him, yet it still made him uncomfortable. Even more so when Lux was sitting literally right next to him.

"I think I'll go for a walk." Lux said with a huff.

"That a good idea, Sparkles?" Jinx suddenly had her card held up. The back facing the two blondes. She stood up and circled around Lux. "All alone in that long secluded hallway?"

"You don't have my card." Lux said.

There was more confidence in it than Jinx would have expected. That gave Jinx some pause. That was a surprisingly strong bluff from the girl. She might have underestimated her, just a little bit. So scare tactics was out of the question. Jinx will have to figure out a different strategy to win over these two now. Jinx laughed, and shoved the card back into her kimono. "Ya got me Twinkles."

"So who's card do you have?" Ezreal asked.

"Ha, like I'm gonna tell you." Truth be told she hadn't even looked at it yet. It was easier to keep your face neutral when you didn't know and others kept asking.

"I'll tell you mine." Lux said, regaining Jinx's attention. A smile cracking on her lips. It looked really unnatural on her petite face

Lux was being too- shifty wasn't the right word. Lux wasn't lying, that much Jinx could tell. The girl was maintaining eye contact too easily, and she wasn't biting her lip. Ezreal too wasn't acting as paranoid as she thought he would. _Oh shit…_ They totally played her. Lux was so insistent to make Jinx tag along in her room that Jinx thought it was because the girl was making a newbie mistake and wanted Jinx, a more experienced player, around to show them the ropes or talk about different strategies. Jinx was now in a room with two players, who are totally in cahoots with one another. Jinx shook her head at Lux, not wanting to hear her out.

"Okay, well I'll just go for that walk, then."

"Ah wait, why don't Ez and I join you?" Jinx said, bead of sweat on her temple. She needed to get away from these two.

"Nah I'm good here." Ezreal leaned onto the futon. Resting his arms behind his head. "You can go ahead without me."

He met eyes with Lux the two of them smiling in satisfaction, and Jinx knew, just knew for a absolute fact now that she was trapped. This wasn't her room, she can't play it off as a safe zone. Lux lured her here at the very beginning! She was a veteran player, she can't be the first to get eliminated. She definitely didn't want to wear a maid uniform for the rest of the trip. Jinx looked around the room, trying to figure out what to do. She was honestly thinking about jumping from the balcony to the next. Got to keep a clear head, that gut reaction is gonna get her in so much trouble. Only one of them can have her card. If she can guess who it is she can avoid them.

Jinx thought hard. If Lux had it and then left the room, it would trap Jinx in the room until she left. Lux would be in prime position to ambush her right as she opened that door. If Ezreal had it, then as soon as Lux left the room, he'd ambush her as soon as the door closed. The safer of the two options would be for Lux to have it. Cause it would ensure Jinx had to leave out the same door. That is assuming that it was Lux's card to begin with, if they managed to hand off the card to do a Hit then…

The door clicked closed as Lux left the room. Jinx spun around and saw Ezreal stand up. Screw it. If she's fast enough maybe she can just outrun them. Jinx went to the door and flung it open. Standing right outside was Lux, card in hand with Jinx's stupid traitorous handwriting scrawled all over it. Jinx's eyes went wide. She wanted to go back inside the room, but felt the door shut firmly behind her, forced closed by Ezreal.

"Gotcha!" Lux said, all too happy to have got the drop on Jinx.

Jinx groaned and slumped against the door. "Nooo~, Killed by the worst liars…"

"Let's go report it to Veigar." Lux looked really satisfied as she remember one very important thing. "Oh, and ask Ahri about those maid uniforms, you felt so inclined to keep as a surprise."

…

Ekko was a ninja. Okay not really. Ninja's were stealthy though, and he thought he was being just as stealthy. He went around to each of the hallways, hugging the wall and peering around the corners. His plan was to double back around after his initial run made everyone scatter. There was a slim chance his target was gonna get caught out alone. He had to try anyways. When he heared some people talking, he ducked around a bit of framing. Walking pass his hiding spot was Katarina and her sister Cassiopeia. The two gossiping about their fellow students and what they should do after they get out of here. Ekko didn't really care for gossip. He ignored the two and crouch rolled across the hall. His target wasn't going to be alone, not easily, and he needed to pick up her trail. She was no doubt gonna cling to other players as much as possible.

He stopped in his sneaking when he heard someone running. Around the corner came Akali. She stopped and peered down the hall she just came from scooby-doo style, and then let out a sigh of relief when she saw no one trailing after her.

Ekko didn't know if she had his card. But guessed she just ran away from another player. He did the smart thing and turned around. Not wanting to show himself.

…

Sejuani tapped Veigar on the shoulder. The much taller girl knelt down low so she could whisper to him. She held her hand over her mouth to prevent others from listening in. "I want to trade with someone. Can you wait here while I go get them?"

Veigar blinked. A trade this early? He kind of expected there be at least an elimination or two before a trade was even considered. That must mean Sejuani must already know where a certain card was, and wanted to snatch it up as soon as possible. He shrugged and nodded. "I'll be my room, 209. I want to write everything down to make tracking stuff easier."

"Okay, whatever, I'll meet you there."

Sejuani didn't waste time as she followed after Caitlyn. She couldn't let the girl out of her sight for too long. If she gets eliminated Sejuani will have to figure out who eliminated her and track them down instead. She she saw Caitlyn, the brunette was staring through the door to the dining hall. Inside, Ashe was sitting next to her boyfriend Tryndamere. Even from her side of the hall, Sejuani could tell Ashe had a smug look on her face just by Caitlyn's reaction alone. Far too slow, Caitlyn. The girl huffed and turned around and nearly ran into Sejuani. Caitlyn backpedaled as she saw that Sejuani had her card already out.

"I want to trade." Sejuani said quickly.

Caitlyn only furrowed her brows.

"You got Ashe's card… trade me it." Sejuani made sure to angle herself so that Ashe couldn't see her. She hugged close to the doorframe. "She's not gonna drop her guard around you, better give me it instead."

Caitlyn rolled her lip between her teeth. "Hm, alright fine." It was the smart choice in poker to get rid of a bad hand in the hopes of pulling a better one.

"I already told Veigar that I wanted to trade. Let's hurry back." Sejuani grabbed Caitlyn by the hand and started to lead her back.

The two passed by several other students, some throwing the girls curious glances. Caitlyn looked up to even see Vi giving her a teasing look before disappearing into the outdoor springs. Sejuani ignored everything, and dragged Caitlyn upstairs. Her eyes were dancing from door to door, reading each number before they landed on 209. She stepped up to the door and knocked loudly on the wood. There was a brief pause. Shuffling was heard and then a click as the door was unlocked and Veigar peered through it. When he saw Sejuani and Caitlyn he swung it all the way open and let the two girls in.

Sitting on one of the futons was Kennen. He was busy playing some game on his Switch, when he noticed the two upperclassmen come in. He threw Veigar a curious look, and got nothing in return. Veigar rummaged through his things and then pulled out a notebook. He had a doggy eared a page, and flipped to it. There on the page was every player's name and a blank spot next to it. "Names of your targets?"

Caitlyn and Sejuani looked to one another. Sejuani cleared her throat first. "Sarah."

"Ashe." Caitlyn said right after.

"You two okay with that trade?" The two agreed. Veigar wrote some things down, making a note on when the trade happened, and who the new targets were next to the players names. "Alright, swap cards then." The two did, Sejuani snatching it right out of Caitlyn's hand. "First trade has been made. I'm gonna make it a policy that anyone can ask me about who traded with who. I'm not gonna reveal anything else pass that."

Sejuani pursed her lips. If Ashe came in for information, Veigar might give her it. There was nothing she could do about that. All she had to do was act fast in that case. "...Sounds fair I guess."

With that the two got up and left. Each heading in separate directions.

Kennen paused his game down and crawled over to Veigar. "What was that about?"

"Eh some game Ahri asked me to referee, I don't really know." Veigar lied.

"Oh." There was a beat. "Do you want to play with my switch?"

Veigar looked down at Kennen's eager face, Switch in his hand. Since he wasn't at risk of being eliminated and then humiliated, he was considerably more relaxed than any of the others in the game. "Eh, sure. What games you got?"

…

Jayce was a spy. A regular double of seven. He peered out of the restroom and saw Katarina and Cassiopeia were passing by. He oh so nonchalantly strolled out of the restroom looking as casual as a person leaving the restroom can look. They threw him a weird glances as he walked away. Jayce was being careful of his surrounds, that much was for sure. He peered behind himself as he rounded a corner, making sure he wasn't being followed.

He ran head first into someone right as he turned around. The shorter kid falling on their ass. Jayce was quick to apologize when he notice it was another player.

Ekko was sitting on the floor when he too noticed he ran into another player.

Both boys panicked and ran away from each other.

So much for being a ninja, and a spy.

…

Ahri, Sarah and Soraka were all seated at one of the lounges. The seating areas were scattered all around the mansion and were in several different cultural styles, the majority were Ionion, as was this one. It had several square coffee tables and a large stack of cushions to take as seats. A place this large was bound to have multiple living rooms. This particular one was placed on the first floor facing a porch that opened up to a beautiful garden. Even in the cloud and rain the garden exhumed an aura of tranquility. Whoever maintained this patch must be very proud of it. Soraka was certainly entranced by its beauty, maybe it was the rain or something that made it even more peaceful.

"Hey, pay attention!" Ahri said, snapping the more timid girl out of her reverie.

"Oh um, sorry." Soraka said turning so she wasn't facing the garden.

"As I was saying. The losers are going to have to wear maid uniforms. The hotel here has, like, a surplus of them even after they decided to switch back to the traditional Ionian clothes. Which means it is very important that we get as many of the boys eliminated." Ahri said.

Sarah gave her friend a side eye look as chewed on her gum. "You know. Sometimes you can be just as bad as Jayce when it comes to boys."

"As if. Don't even try to compare me to that idiot." Ahri rolled her eyes. "At least he isn't as bad as Xayah's boyfriend."

"Rakan?" Sarah shrugged. "He isn't too bad. He has the looks to go with his ego."

"Why thank you!" Rakan pushed his way into the group. Appearing before the girls as if summoned, and not as if he waited down the hall for the best moment to show himself. He grabbed a free cushion and plopped down into. He leaned onto the tatami mat and propped his head up with his elbow, just so he could look nonchalantly chill.

Ahri rolled her eyes at him. "I'm surprised you're not choking on your leash this far away from Xayah."

Rakan pouted. "Now that's just mean girl. I came all the way over here in good faith and you treat me like that?" Ahri and Sarah looked to each other. He was definitely up to something. Soraka tried to stay out of the way. Futile. Rakan sided over to Soraka leaning over to her and placing a hand to cover his mouth. "I actually came over to talk to you."

"Hey, don't pester her." Ahri said. She turned to her friend, protectiveness bubbling up inside her. "Ignore him Soraka."

Rakan continued to whisper to Soraka, "I think you should listen to me, considering I got this~" He slipped the card he had and showed it to Soraka, the neat cutesy writing of Ahri's name written over it. Xayah had given it to him, if he had both, he could use either one to influence the other. Soraka seemed like the easier of the two to fool, so Rakan went with her. "Just something you should think about… and, I don't know, maybe want to trade for, in around ten minutes? Meet me in the rec room if you want."

Soraka looked down at the card and tried to hide her feelings. She looked over to Rakan, who was now standing, tucking away the card into his kimono, then over Ahri who was fuming and muttering threats of bodily harm to the boy strolling away. As soon as he was out of sight, Soraka stood up. This got the attention of the other girls. Soraka bowed to them, "Sorry I need to go to, um, the restroom. I'll be right back. Um, sorry." Quickly she rushed off in a direction opposite of Rakan, as to not make it obvious she wanted to meet up with him.

Sarah pursed her lips, bubble gum popping between her teeth. "She's gonna walk straight into a trap."

"Not if we can help it." Ahri said, standing up to follow after her friend.

…

Veigar and Kennen were huddled together as each vied for a better angle on the screen. What started as a friendly game turned into a heated match as the two yordles competed against one another.

They only stopped when someone else knocked on the door to their room. Kennen took the advantage to end the game before Veigar could even think about hitting pause. Kennen stuck his tongue out as Veigar grumbled and stood up. He swung open the door, more than a little bit miffed that he lost, and saw Lux and Jinx standing there. Seeing the annoyed and defeated look on Jinx's face told Veigar all that he needed to know. He was quick to record the elimination and see to the transfer of cards from Jinx to Lux in his journal.

The blond took the card, that Jinx didn't even get to see, and frowned at the name. Jinx leaned over and read the name and laughed at Lux's bad luck. Lux tucked the card into her kimono, and turned to Veigar. "Jinx told me something very important about Ahri's addition to the rules. Would it be possible for you to ask all the others to meet up after dinner tonight?"

Veigar shrugged. "Sure. If it comes from me I'm pretty sure no one would think it's a trap. I'll tell everyone to meet at the rec room we started in."

"Awesome, thanks Veigar." Lux smiled and left with a pouting Jinx, who just remembered her unfortunate fate.

Again Kennen was confused about what Veigar had entangled himself in. Though now he was more curious and wanted in on this game, whatever it was. He put away his Switch and turned to Veigar. "Can I play too?"

"Hmmm," Veigar thought about letting Kennen in on the game. If he wanted in, there had to be a way to add his card into the rotation, and he didn't know if there was a preexisting rule about that. That was gonna be more of a hassle than he wanted, instead Veigar decided on a different approach. "Since the game already started... You can help me ref instead."

"Cool. Then next time I get to play?"

"Sure." Veigar said. He flipped his journal to show Kennen the list, "First things first, tell everyone on this list to meet up in the rec room after dinner."

…

Rakan meandered into the rec room. Purposely taking it slow so that he could check to see if Soraka took the bait or not. When he saw the timid girl peeked into the hall, he made a mock salute to her and stepped inside. As Soraka went to follow after him, she was pulled back by two sets of hands. She muffled her own yelp as she noticed it was only Sarah and Ahri getting the jump on her.

"Soraka what are you doing?" Ahri asked.

Soraka fiddled with her fingers, "Uh-" She glanced down the hall to the propped open door of the rec room.

"No, let me answer that for you." Ahri pressed on. "You're falling right into that pretty boy's trap."

"No." Soraka insisted, "I wasn't. He had you card, and-"

"Obviously he was using it to lure you away from us-"

Soraka stamped her feet. "Please, let me finish." It didn't happen often, but there was times Soraka did put her foot down. This was one of those times. Ahri shut her mouth and let her friend continue. "He had your card, but I have Xayah's card too!" She held up the card, sure enough Xayah's name was written on there like a sketchbook signature.

That made Ahri and Sarah look up in astonishment. "Well that does change things…" Ahri took out her own card and showed it too. Rakan's well practised signature was splayed out across the entire card. "I think we're in a position to eliminate the power couple."

"I should take it, make a surprise hit on Rakan." Sarah said.

"No, Xayah's obviously waiting in their just incase something like that happens. She won't risk him being alone so long as she doesn't know who has his card."

"So we wait."

"We wait… and plan a counter strike. We have both their cards, and we know they at least have mine." Ahri took Soraka's card from her. "Until then, let me keep both of these. If they try and get the jump on me, I can claim a stalemate."

All three left. Leaving a waiting Rakan all alone in the rec room. Something that would piss Xayah off later once she found out.

* * *

 **Players Status**

Lux - Alive

Jinx - Dead (Eliminated by Lux) - Maid to Lux

Janna - Alive

Poppy - Alive

Lulu - Alive

Ahri - Alive

Sarah Fortune - Alive

Syndra - Alive

Soraka - Alive

Ezreal - Alive

Jayce - Alive

Ekko - Alive

Vi - Alive

Caitlyn - Alive

Quinn - Alive

Talon - Alive

Ashe - Alive

Sejuani - Alive

Taliyah - Alive

Akali - Alive

Tristana - Alive

Rakan - Alive

Xayah - Alive

Tobias Fate - Alive

Kayn - Alive

* * *

A/N: And that's a wrap! First blood has been drawn.

I actually used a randomizer to simulate the cards being passed out. I thought it would add a bit of authenticity to the game if I didn't do the card setup and let fate decide instead. Also I decided it's a good idea to keep you, the readers, in the dark on who has whose card. Make this sort of an mystery, have clues, and reveals slowly introduced through the story. I'm not a mystery writer so results may vary. I have a doc to make sure I don't accidentally mix up player cards, and keep everything consistent.

See you all soon, love ya, bye!


	3. Trust Brings Betrayal

**[Day 1 of Murder - Day 3 of School Trip - Evening]**

Dinner was tense (well tense for twenty-four of the students) the rest were more bored than anything else and picked at the food provided. Traditional Ionian food was good, really good, it just got stale after three whole days of eating only that. Lux sat next to Ezreal, who was happy to get any sort of free food, and Jinx, who was still miffed at being the first to get eliminated. Across from them was Quinn and Talon. Lux thought it was suspicious that both had came into the dining hall together. Normally the two had a very hot and cold relationship in which they could only stand one another for an hour or so before they got on each other's nerves. Talon was nibbling at his food, while Quinn was trying to start up something with Ezreal and Jinx.

"I swear, everyone is super jumpy-"

"Like they're out to get each other? Like, I dunno, like if there was a murderer out on the loose?" Jinx cut in.

Ezreal chuckled. That sorta summed up the game in his opinion. Jinx did warn them that paranoia would set in sooner or later but he never thought it would be this soon. Only a few hours had passed, and he saw Jayce maybe once during that entire time. Ekko disappeared off the face of the planet. And, if non-player rumors were true, Vi had been caught snooping in other people's belongings.

"The only two that don't seem that jumpy are you and HotTopic there." Jinx poked a chopstick at Talon. He snorted at the nickname, not her best, he figured it would fit better on Kayn.

That was sorta true when Lux thought about it, almost everyone who came to dinner only came in as groups of three or more. No one came in alone or as a duo because it was simply too risky. Besides herself and Ezreal, no one knew Jinx was eliminated just yet, which was something that could prove useful later. If Quinn and Talon were pairing up it would be harder to get Talon all alone for Ezreal to eliminate. She glanced over to Ezreal, his card was tucked away tightly inside his kimono as he wouldn't dare risk misplacing it.

"-bet on it then." Talon said.

Lux refocused on the group. She had only processed the last few words and was playing catch-up.

"No way." Ezreal was waving a hand dismissively. "If you want to play it like that, talk to Tobias."

Lux nudged Jinx. She leaned in close and whispered into her ear. "What're they talking about?"

Jinx turned to Lux, hand coming up to cover her mouth. "Talon wants to start a pool. Get bets going on who might be the winner. I could care less."

"For obvious reasons." Lux couldn't help the bit of cockiness leaking into her voice.

Jinx grit her teeth. "...yeah."

A fuzzy hand came between them, and Lux leaned back in surprise. Standing there was Kennen. He passed a piece of paper to everyone and then walked off, heading further down the table to hand out more notes. Caught off guard, each starred at one another before Jinx opened the note first. At the top was the title 'Gotcha Game', which probably read less suspiciously than 'Murder Game'.

' _All players please head back to the first rec room for an update about the game. There is a rules change. -Veigar'_

"What rules update?" Talon crumbled up the note. Tossing it into the center of the table where the others also tossed their notes.

Lux nudged Jinx, "Something Jinx and Ahri forgot to tell everyone."

"Yeah… something I'm gonna regret." Jinx sighed and slumped forward.

…

When Veigar came around to Ahri's side of the table, she took the note and skimmed it. A knowing smile spread across her lips. She looked to Sarah who rolled her eyes. "I've got to go talk to the staff," Ahri stood and tapped Soraka's shoulder, "You're coming with."

Soraka looked up from her tea mid-sip, "Oh, okay."

As the two left Sarah watched them go. She notice Xayah's and Rakan's eyes tailing after them, but they made no motion to follow. Even if their first plan had failed, they were still scheming. Sarah had to make sure to keep tabs on them.

…

Ezreal was glad he decided to team up with Lux. When she originally suggested a team up with him he had been skeptical. Only when Lux revealed that not only did she have Jinx's card, not his, and had a plan to get the delinquent eliminated first did he believe her. When that plan worked he decided to show her his intended target, and together they solidified their alliance. He had thought Talon might be easy to get alone. He was already a loner to begin with, he only hung out with his adopted sisters, Katarina and Cassiopeia, and even that was sparingly. So it came as a surprise to see him staying close to Quinn. Their team up was entirely unexpected. Still, if he thought he was safe with Quinn, he was making a huge mistake. Quinn and Talon were rivals in just about everything, so if there was even the slightest chance for her to get a win over Talon, she'd definitely take it, which meant Ezreal had something he could exploit.

As everyone finished up dinner, Ezreal made his move. Since Lux's orders were absolute to Jinx, they made her stall Talon and Quinn. Jinx knocked over a glass of juice that spilled onto Quinn's kimono. The girl yelped at the sudden mess, coming to her feet and wiping at the liquid. Lux came over to her side quickly and offered her help to clean up.

"Let's go to the bathroom. Get some clean water before a stain sets in." Lux grabbed Quinn's arm, while Jinx apologized unconvincingly. Lux glared at Jinx, very convincingly "This is your fault Jinx, the least you can do is help too."

The two girls started to force Quinn down the hall and into the nearest restroom.

Talon wavered, noticing that he was going to be all alone in the hall with Ezreal while they waited. Sensing a set up, he took Quinn's other arm. "I-it's fine."

Everyone looked at Talon, surprised he would interrupt. He thought on his feet quickly, he shed the top layer of his own kimono, the haori, and shoved it into Quinn's arms. "Uh… here, swap with me instead."

"Swap?" Quinn looked down at her clothes. Her kimono didn't come with a haori. The stain on her lap dripped further down her leg.

Talon draped the haori over her shoulders instead. Pulling it tight around her so the stain was hidden away beneath the fabric. "Just cover it for now. It's borrowed from the staff anyways. We'll just ask for another."

"It's only nice to try to clean it ourselves first." Lux tried to insist.

Ezreal knew the plan failed, so tried for plan B. "Ah leave it, Lux. Talon wants to impress Quinn by being all chivalrous. I can respect that."

"Yeah right." Talon pulled away from Quinn, he looked to the other players and scoffed. "I'm not- Don't we have to meet up with everyone?" He tried to hurry everyone along, pushing ahead of the group to hide his face.

Quinn tried to catch up to him but was blocked by Lux and Jinx, Lux still berating Jinx for causing the mess and Talon for not letting her help. Ezreal slide into the middle of the group, pushing just up ahead so his back was facing Quinn, putting even more space between her and Talon. Ezreal slung his arms behind his head, resting them there naturally. In his hands was Talon's card, the boy's sloppy handwriting visible to Quinn, obviously showcasing the card to her. The girl's eyes went wide and quickly sped up so she could whisper to Ezreal.

"Give me that card." She hissed, looking up ahead to see the other three engrossed with one another. Talon's plan revolved around finding out who had his card and making a trade with them. So that he and her had each other's card, and were locked in a stalemate. Talon figured, since everyone knew he and Quinn were rivals, the girl would do anything to get her hands on that card. They just won't expect that was their plan. Both would become immune to elimination.

"There's an idea." Ezreal whispered back. "You willing to do a hit?"

"No. I want to trade!" Quinn shot a glance to Lux and Jinx. Hoping the two of them hadn't heard her harsh whisper. "I need it."

"I'll think about it." Ezreal was dangling the card in front of her like a carrot on a stick.

Quinn huffed. Ezreal caught up to Lux, and pulled her away. The two whispered to one another. Quinn glared at them as she got next to Talon. If they thought they could outsmart her and Talon, they had another thing coming.

…

As everyone came into the rec room, they saw Veigar standing atop of a coffee table with Kennen standing beside him on the floor. Everyone now knew Kennen was somehow in on the game, but didn't know how or why. Players took places around the room, sitting on the open couch or on the floor. Once everyone was comfortable, Veigar began the meeting.

"Kennen is going to help me referee the game." Veigar said. His voice trying to fill the room. "Anytime anyone wants to ask for a trade or to turn in an elimination, you can tell me or Kennen. I thought it'd be easier to have two of us available, since I don't want to be bugged all day and night about this stuff."

Kennen waved, happy to be doing something during this long boring stay. "Veigar gave me the rundown of the game. This is gonna be so cool."

"We also wanted to tell everyone that the first trade and first elimination happened already." Veigar said. At that, everyone started to look around, surprised by how quickly it happened. The players who were party to the elimination and trade looked less surprised. Suspicion on who those were was being shot across the room left and right.

"Are you gonna tell us more?" Ekko asked, very eager to know.

Veigar nodded, and Kennen brought out the notebook. "First blood was Jinx, she was eliminated only two hours into the game."

Vi started to laugh, loudly. The others sitting near her backed away as she threw her head back uncontrollably. Jinx growled at Vi's reaction and pouted at her own humiliation.

"Yeah yeah, laugh it up Fat Hands." Jinx crossed her arms.

"Who was it?" Vi wiped a tear from her eye. "Who got the drop on you?"

Lux raised her hand. There was no rule against telling others you were the one who eliminated a player. Also that would be hard to hide given that they would also be acting as your maid. When others saw that it was Lux that eliminated a veteran player the laughter spread. Jinx felt her face burn red, all the way up to the tips of her ears. She looked over to Ekko to see him poorly hiding his own amusement. Utter betrayal.

"Can we move on already?" Jinx said.

"No no." Lux said, "Jinx I think you need to tell the rest of the group about the OTHER rule."

Jinx looked over to Ahri. The girl had a bundle of cloth tuck under her arm, the little vixen came prepared. Ahri made a shooing motion, quietly hurrying her up. Growling, Jinx stood up and took center stage, Ahri coming up to her side. With a dramatic sigh she said, "Not only does an eliminated player have to be the Maid to their 'murderer' they also have to-"

Ahri whipped out the black dress with frilly white trim and matching white apron. "Dress like one!"

Utter chaos erupted in the room. Some of the boys hooted and hollered. Especially knowing that Jinx would absolutely hate their reaction since she would be subject to their teasing as the first maid. A few girls paled knowing that things got even dicier for them. None of them wanted to be caught dead wearing such a thing. Why did the mansion hotel even have those, let alone how did Ahri get her hands on them? As everyone chatted about the twist, Jinx snatched the uniform from Ahri and disappeared down the hall. Finding the closest restroom to change in. Lux only felt mildly guilty for forcing Jinx to wear it. But honestly it was her own fault, her and Ahri were the ones to set those stakes, it was only fair to enforce their decision.

As the initial shock washed away, Kayn was the first to speak up. "The guys get a butler uniform… right?"

"Sorry, but the staff only have these available." Ahri said, toothy grin mocking the poor boy.

The mood flipped now. The boys felt all the girl's eyes on their backs, and they felt a cold shiver pass through them. Collectively all the boys shifted closer together, gaining unspoken comradery from one another. The ancient rites of the 'bro code' had been invoked. The only relief they got was when the door opened again.

In stepped Jinx, uniform donned. Her hands pulled at the short skirt, disliking how poofy it was, and the wide neck line was also more exposing than she originally thought. Jinx stood for everyone to see, and for once her extrovertive personality was quelled by how much she hated the stupid uniform, and how stupid Ahri was for coming up with this idea. She wouldn't have agreed if she knew she'd be the first to go! This was all Lux's fault, and she needed to get revenge somehow.

Vi barked a laugh, she spun her finger around telling Jinx to do a circle for everyone. Grumbling, Jinx complied, showing that the uniform also had a big white bow in the back.

"Okay shows over," Ahri, thankfully let Jinx return to her seat.

Talon got to his feet and took everyone's attention away from Jinx. "Ezreal and I are taking bets on who the next elimination is gonna be."

"Sike!" There was no way Ezreal was gonna let Talon pull a fast one like that. He came up front, and denied having any part in this. Caitlyn was trying her best to dissuade her fellow students from gambling anymore than they already were. Despite that, Tobias and Ahri look interested. Ahri especially. Maid outfits and servitude where nice rewards, but there could always be more. Tobias leaned over to her and whispered something. She grinned and nodded.

…

The detour of the meeting made leaving a little harder. After everyone quieted down, groups began to split off and resume either hiding or hunting.

Quinn was with Talon, it took a bit of doing but they were able to ditch Ezreal and Lux. Quinn didn't trust them, more so now that she knew Ezreal was gunning for Talon. Once they found a separate lounge to hide in did they finally speak. It was one of the smaller side rooms. One that was for more intimate meetings. Quinn shooed Talon inside while she looked around the hall. No one was anywhere close to them. Quietly, she shut the door and turned around, Talon was already seated at the short table. She joined him, leaning onto the table excitedly.

"Ezreal has your card!" Quinn felt a rush as she said that. She needed to get that card. "I'm sure he's willing to trade if I ask. I wanted to tell you beforehand so…"

Quinn saw that Talon wasn't listening. His face was down. brows furrowed tightly. He was thinking about something intently. She guessed it was that failed gamble he tried to play on Ezreal.

"Uh Hello... Did you not hear me?" Quinn waved her hands in front of his face. "Once I get your card. We become immune. Neither of us has to wear that dumb uniform."

Talon sucked in a breath. "…Y-yeah..."

Quinn stared at him for a second. He had her card pinched between his fingers, flicking it anxiously. She could feel the blood rush up her cheeks as she came to a realization. Talon was gonna back out of their truce! She didn't have his card, and he hand hers! She sprung to her feet and went for the door. She opened it an inch when a hand slid it back forcefully. Quinn couldn't get a tight enough grip to push it open. She spun and pressed her back against the wood and saw Talon holding the card. Quinn could read her own name all too clearly.

"Honestly, you shouldn't have trusted me to begin with. So I don't feel bad about this at all."

Quinn pushed him away from her. "What happened to our truce? With me eliminated you won't have a safety net. There's no stalemate."

Talon shoved his hands into his kimono. "Truce or not. How could I possibly pass up the chance to see you wear a maid uniform. Had to take the golden opportunity while I still could."

"Argh! You- you're such a-" Quinn bit off a curse, and took out her own card. She threw it at his face. "I'm gonna find a way to get back at you."

"It wouldn't be fun if you didn't." Talon looked at his new card, noting which yordle it was she was after. He slid open the door and with a flourish waved Quinn through. He wondered if Ahri had a second uniform already saved. Well if not, Quinn still had to do all that he said. This was going to be so much fun.

…

Kayn had gathered Jayce, Ekko, and Tobias into the outdoor springs. It was neutral ground, so everyone felt safer there. For the time being they had a truce. A truce between guys because with Ahri stunt, they knew they got the short end of the stick. The game was heavily weighed against them, there were eighteen girls and only seven boys. He wasn't willing to play eye candy to any of them.

He paced back and forth as the others explored the impressive hot spring. The open area had textured stone slabs decorating one side while the other had fake rock piled high on the other. In the center was a large pool, with two smaller ones attached to the side. Like a mini tier system, the smaller ones fed into the larger one. Jayce was fond of the small waterfall linking the pools and dunked his head beneath it. Ekko clearly ignored the no diving sign as he climbed up the fake rocks and jumped in. The splash caught Tobias by surprised and he had to shake off the water from the hat he absolutely refused to take off. That started a bit of a fight. Tobias dunked Ekko underneath, and Jayce egged them on. Kayn stomped his bare foot on the ground, making a little puddle splash.

"Take this seriously!" Kayn yelled. The others stopped their goofing and looked up at him. "You guys think this is no big deal, but you're forgetting we're outnumbered almost three to one! We're more likely to end up wearing those costumes than the girls are."

Jayce raised his hand, "Shouldn't we get Ezreal and Rakan in on this if this is that serious?"

"Yeah and where the hell is Talon?" Ekko asked. He adjusted his towel after almost losing it.

"Lux and Xayah have Ezreal and Rakan wrapped around their fingers." Kayn said. "They're on their own."

"You teamed up with Syndra." Jayce said. Earning a nod from Ekko.

"I'm not wrapped around Syndra's finger like they are. Our team up is nothing like theirs. If anything she's more of my love rival."

Jayce and Ekko laughed. "Rival? Rival to who?"

"Za-aah, doesn't matter!" Kayn stepped into the pool. "We have to play this more carefully now. We have to band together against the girls."

Tobias nodded. "I'm inclined to agree with him. Ezreal and Rakan will no doubt be more willing to help their girlfriends than one of us, so we should make a pact, no betraying each each."

Jayce rolled the idea around in his head. He saw no downside so he nodded, placing his hand in the center of the group. "Pact."

Tobias and Kayn put their hands in. "Pact."

All eyes went to Ekko, he knew he wouldn't get far without having some help. So after initially hesitating, he put his own hand in. "Pact."

…

The newly formed team were dressing again, having formed a bond in those baths. Ekko was dressed first and was peering out of the door. Looking for any players, when he saw no one. He waved Jayce to follow. The big lug was still keen on the idea that Ezreal could be convinced to join their ranks, so wanted to meet up with him before lights out.

Kayn was slipping his kimono on when Tobias walked up to him.

"So what's your plan mighty leader."

"See who each others targets are, then we can plan out perfect assassinations on them. With all of us working together on this we won't be forced to don those uniforms. We can save our pride."

Kayn slipped through the door after peering around. He couldn't see Ekko and Jayce anymore but that didn't matter. They were off in a duo. No stray player would be able to get the drop on them.

"Sounds good… Here let's start with mine." Tobias took his card out and flipped it around to show Kayn.

"We should start with mine instead, she is-" Kayn's words died on his lips as he saw who Tobias' target was. Kayn stepped back and looked around. They were only two feet from the safe zone, and only two minutes from forming their alliance "Y-you."

"The way I see it. I'm gonna get farther if I don't stick with tweedle dee and tweedle dumb."

Tobias tucked away his old target card and gestured for Kayn to give up his. Kayn scowled, and shoved his card into Tobias' hands.

"You won't last long by yourself."

"Just because I didn't join your little gang, doesn't mean I'm flying solo."

…

Rumble threw down a three, then a four, and then a five onto the growing card pile. Teemo intercepted Rumble's six with his own five. Rumble growed and slapped it away.

"We agreed no doubles!" Rumble said, stopping the game.

"Jump-Ins are different." Teemo insisted.

"Jump-Ins are for continuing the chain. That's how you play normally." Rumble took the card and mimed placing it down. "Doubles are anytime you play the same card at the same time, doesn't matter if I play it or you play it."

Teemo snatched his card back, which prompted Rumble to snatch it back himself. The two got up from their game. Butting heads with one another over rule disagreement. Teemo lunged to get his card back and Rumble pulled away. The two rolled across the floor spilling cards all around them. This is what Poppy and Tristana came across when they walked into the room. Rumble stuffed Teemo's face into the floor mat while he held the card up high triumphantly.

"Are we interrupting?" Tristana said, watching them.

Rumble stumbled back off Teemo, blush rushing across his furry face. "Ah-uh T-trist."

Teemo brushed himself off, waving to the two yordle girls. "Hey Trist. Hey Poppy."

"Hey…" Poppy said. "Are you guys done with those cards?"

The two knew they wouldn't try playing anytime soon. Teemo gathered up the cards, and snatched back the one that was still in Rumble's hand. Rumble tutted at Teemo as he handed the deck to Poppy. Tristana thanked the boys and left as soon as they came.

They walked down the hall, shuffling the deck over and over again. "Are you sure this isn't cheating?"

"I mean, it's a bluffing game." Poppy shrugged. "The rule said we just had to show them the card if someone asks. Didn't say it had to be the actual card."

Poppy drew a card out and took out her target card. She carefully compared the backs. They were the same brand so there was no difference, aside from the slight wear and tear. The target card was more worn, the edges were flared and had a bend from being shuffled too much.

"Don't lose it." Tristana said.

"I won't!" Poppy shuffled the card back in… and smacked forehead. She sighed and started to search through the deck for her original card.

…

Veigar was sitting with Lulu. The two of them were sharing some snacks as they quietly enjoyed each other's company. Silently Veigar was so glad that the monsoon ruined the school trip. He got to spend more time with Lulu, and it was time not surrounded by her friends. Veigar was nose deep in a book, yet another 'dark' magic book filled with spells and astrology. Lulu played with Pix, the blank stare of the plushie was holding her attention like a deep conversation. Lulu rolled in her seat so she could rest her head against Veigar's shoulder. He stiffened at her touch. Hesitantly he slipped his hand away from the book. And… very… carefully… he rested it onto Lulu's shoulder. The girl hummed happily, and drew in closer. Veigar could feel his heartbeat race in his throat.

Then the knock on the door broke them apart. Lulu got up from her spot next to Veigar, leaving a cooling warm spot next to him. She peered outside and saw Tobias waiting outside with an annoyed Kayn.

Tobias looked surprise to see Lulu in Veigar's room, as much as a surprise as it was, her being here was incredibly lucky for him. The yordles were all alone together, and by how Veigar was glaring at him, they were suppose to stay alone. He ignored the waves of irritation coming from the black furred yordle. Stepping inside he gestured to Kayn, "I murdered Kayn." Tobias said. Any outside party would do a double take at his words.

Veigar sighed and brought out the notebook. He took note on the latest elimination. It was surprising that Kayn was the next eliminated. "Okay. So now Kayn is going to be your maid for the rest of the trip. Have fun…"

"I got a question actually," Tobias glanced down to Lulu. The girl was sitting on Veigar's futon, leaning onto the pillow and waiting patiently for them to be done. "Do you count as a player?"

"What do you mean?" Veigar tucked the notebook back into his bag.

"I mean, if you count against a target being alone or not." Tobias took out his new target card. Kneeling down so he could talk to Veigar more comfortably. All the while keeping Lulu in his line of sight.

"I don't think so…" Veigar narrowed his eyes, noticing Tobias's eyes linger on his friend.

"Okay… then if you don't, can you also mark Lulu as eliminated too?" Tobias reached over and showed Lulu the card with her curly script on it. The card he just got from Kayn. The little flowers doodled onto it could of came from no one else.

Lulu looked at her card and her ears drooped. "This is safe zone."

"Not your room, not your safe zone." Tobias held his hand out, asking for Lulu's card. "Two in a row. Lucky me."

Veigar grumbled and marked down the elimination. Lulu handed over her card, sad that she lost. Tobias, a gentlemen such as himself knew when to bow out. He stood and tipped his hat. "Well. I'm out of here. Have fun you two… Kayn, get the door for me." He snapped his hand impatient. Kayn glared at Tobias, and did as he was told. "That's a good maid."

…

Vi leaned out from behind the cubbies used to hold guests' clothes. Third time's the charm. She just saw another group of girls head into the hot springs. Using the last of the free time before lights out to have a nice soak. While they enjoyed the warm bath, Vi rummaged through their clothes. She pulled out a card, and saw her name written on it. "Ah Ha!" Vi grinned excitedly. Finally. Now if she could figure out who's clothes these were she knew who had her card and could use that against them.

"Ahem…"

Vi froze. She turned and saw Caitlyn standing behind her, towel draped over her arm. She sighed in relief. "Cupcake, don't scare me like that." They were in a safe zone, so she had nothing to fear at the moment.

"You know when the rumors came around that there was a pervert stealing underwear, I had hoped it wasn't you." Caitlyn looked down at the pair Vi was holding.

Vi flushed. She threw the pair and the card back into the cubby. "W-wha, no. See. I uh-"

"I'm only teasing Vi." Caitlyn found a free cubby and began to dress down. "You're really taking this game seriously."

"Point of pride. I've never lost a round of Murder, and I ain't gonna start now." Vi watched Caitlyn… then shook her head. Got to keep her mind on the game. "I just narrowed down my list of suspects down to two."

"Hmm," Caitlyn leaned over to peer at the adjacent cubbies. "I can tell you who if you want."

"Sorry, Cupcake. I love you, but in this game, I trust no one." Vi stepped back, heading back to the bath's entrance. "You best watch your own back, you trusted Sejuani a little too easily."

Caitlyn pursed her lips. Vi slipped out of the changing room after thoroughly checking if the coast was clear. She bolted down the hall, and Caitlyn rolled her eyes. Caitlyn slipped into the hot spring and saw Janna, Ashe and Sejuani already relaxing.

If Vi was taking this so seriously, then maybe it was time for Caitlyn to up her game.

* * *

 **Players Status**

Lux - Alive

Jinx - Dead (Eliminated by Lux) - Maid to Lux

Janna - Alive

Poppy - Alive

Lulu - Dead (Eliminated by Tobias) - Maid to Tobias

Ahri - Alive

Sarah Fortune - Alive

Syndra - Alive

Soraka - Alive

Ezreal - Alive

Jayce - Alive

Ekko - Alive

Vi - Alive

Caitlyn - Alive

Quinn - Dead (Eliminated by Talon) - Maid to Talon

Talon - Alive

Ashe - Alive

Sejuani - Alive

Taliyah - Alive

Akali - Alive

Tristana - Alive

Rakan - Alive

Xayah - Alive

Tobias Fate - Alive

Kayn - Dead (Eliminated by Tobias) - Maid to Tobias

* * *

A/N: That's a wrap! I want to thank Fresh Sorcerer for Beta reading my latest chapter. I've been having trouble proof reading my own stories, so I'm grateful for the help they had provided. Here's to them. I'm trying to keep this one going at a steady pace. I don't want too many eliminations within a single chapters, and yet I also need to thin the herd so I can really focus on certain groups.

Anyways, see you all soon, love you, bye!


	4. Killing Time

**[Day 2 of Murder - Day 4 of School Trip - Morning]**

The morning came with a surprise. Three students came to breakfast wearing maid uniforms. Jinx, Quinn, and Kayn walked in faces flushed red. The black and white frilly uniforms drawing all the attention in the room. Jinx at least was becoming more comfortable wearing it. Out of all the others eliminated, Jinx was sorta happy it was Lux who eliminated her. The blonde barely had a mean bone in her, as far as wearing this degrading uniform, Lux had issued no other orders beyond executing her plans to win. Quinn and Kayn on the other hand… Quinn huffed and fell into her seat next to Talon. She crossed her arms and tried hard to ignore the smug look Talon was giving her. She nearly snapped the chopsticks in her hands in half as he tapped the plate before him. Resigned, she took a bit of rice from his plate and held it out for Talon. He smiled and took the bite.

Lux sat across from him and rolled her eyes.

"Should've taken up my offer Quinn." Ezreal said. He took a bite of his own food. There was some omelette included in today's breakfast to go along with the rice and salmon. While his original plan was out the window, he could still use Quinn. The girl will definitely hold a grudge if Talon kept pushing her buttons.

"Don't have to rub it in…" Quinn grumbled, she stabbed the fish and shoved it into Talon's face.

He took the bite and between chews said, "Be a little more gentle. A maid is suppose to be caring for their master."

This time Quinn did snap the chopsticks in her hands.

…

Across the room Kayn wasn't faring any better. He stood behind Ahri and her group, one hand holding a ketchup bottle, the other making sure his skirt was covering his behind effectively. "Any requests for my mistresses?" He said through grit teeth.

Ahri tapped her chin, "A heart with my name, please."

"How bout, 'I love you', as big as you can." Sarah said, enjoying the maid gifted to them by Tobias.

"Nothing…" Soraka said, embarrassed for him.

"Now c'mon, I didn't bring him along for him to do nothing." Tobias said, enjoying his breakfast. If Kayn had known that Tobias made a deal with Ahri, he'd would have never approached him to form an alliance. Turned out when Talon brought up the idea of a betting pool for their game, it got the two of them talking. Tobias was confident he could eliminate Kayn, and Ahri knew he didn't 'gamble' like the rest of the players, suggested they team up. Ahri was conniving. Tobias was conniving. No one would expect them to team up, because everyone else would expect them to try to eliminate one another. It definitely caught Kayn off guard, and because of Kayn's naivety, he was offered as a peace offering to solidify the alliance.

Ahri was pleased with the gift. Sarah was also pleased, gaining the benefits second hand.

Soraka bit her lip looking up to the boy. He was giving her the most pleading of looks, hoping for her to be lenient. She broke away from his puppy dog eyes, "Maybe a unicorn…" She said in a hushed tone.

"That's the spirit."

Kayn hung his head low as he took the bottle of ketchup and started to draw on the girl's omelettes. Ahri's heart, Sarah's proclamation of love, and a unicorn for Soraka. Tobias asked for a surprise. Kayn drew a dick, and told him to choke on it.

…

At the far end of the table was the teachers. They were bewildered to say the least. A stickler for rules as always, Ryze was about to put a stop to the shenanigans as soon as Jinx stepped into the room. Braum on the other hand stopped the more uppity teachers.

"Tis a game." Braum said, he had heard the rumors and couldn't fault the kids for keeping themselves occupied, "The young ones are bored. They need entertainment, it causes no trouble."

Ryze tapped the table. "It's causing a scene."

"I have to agree with the professor, they are being disruptive to the staff with their game." Ms. Laurent said.

Braum waved his hands, "I will ask staff. See if it is something for us to put our foot down on."

Ryze and Ms. Laurent backed off. Braum was easily the more likeable of the teachers. He was all charm, bravado, and old country quirks. The students not only liked him but also respected him. Anyone that could reel in Darius and Garen without losing a limb could be trusted to keep any of the students in line.

"Fine, but I still need to ask the manager about arranging a trip into town." Ms. Laurent said, "We have to contact the school and we're getting no reception up here."

…

Lulu for the most part was spared from embarrassment. She had no idea why. Tobias seemed to enjoy embarrassing Kayn more than her. She wasn't even wearing the maid uniform, she has to wonder if they would even have a size available for a yordle. Well she wasn't gonna complain about that. All she was ordered to do was keep her elimination a secret, and keep an eye on Poppy and Tristana. Essentially be his spy. If she ever found out who their targets were, she was suppose to tell him right away.

"Time for step two of our plan." Poppy said,snapping her away from her thinking.

The yordles were sitting apart from all the other players. The only others who were a part of the game were Veigar and Kennen, and they didn't even count as players. Poppy and Tristana slid their cards to Lulu.

"No one will suspect you to be playing hitman." Poppy said.

"Since you're always hanging around Veigar, no one will think twice if they see you with him when they turn in an elimination or trade." Tristana added.

"So, I just do the hit when they come to Veigar?" Lulu said looking at the two cards. "That's risky if the others find out you don't have your cards."

Poppy and Tristana showed the blank cards they took from Teemo and Rumble. "They won't find out."

Kennen looked over to Veigar, the two boys knew of Lulu's current status, but said nothing. As much as they wanted to play favorites, Lulu was already eliminated and they could do nothing to help her. Tristana and Poppy were going to have to find out the hard way.

…

As breakfast wound down, the students went their separate ways. Most not playing the game were heading back to the rec rooms. Ping pong was still very popular. Those that were in on the game all had their own destinations in mind. Arhi and her group went to their rooms which were some of their only safe zones. While heading to go play some board games, Ezreal was abruptly pulled away from Lux. He was shoved into a guest room by Jayce and Ekko, the two of them blocking the door with their bodies. This instantly made Ezreal defensive. Whatever they were planning, he was sure to get out of it.

"Don't worry." Jayce said, he peeked out the door and saw Lux talking to Jinx, unaware of Ezreal's disappearance. "We're here to save you."

Ezreal pulled away form the two. "What are you talking about?"

"We're forming an alliance. Between us bros." Ekko said. "Save ourselves from a fate like Kayn."

"I already got an alliance." Ezreal said, hoping to turn them down quickly.

"With Lux, who will eventually turn on you." Jayce said, Ezreal wanted to protest but the two pushed forward.

"Look what happened to Kayn, if that edgy pretty boy was turned into a plaything, you're not that far behind. You're gonna be next if we don't team up." Ekko said.

"Why would I be next?" Ezreal asked.

Ekko and Jayce looked at each other. They argued quietly, when Ekko eyes hardened and Jayce relented. The big guy shrugged, "It's no secret that most girls in the school find you cute. They no doubt would team up to get you in the maid uniform. Lux included."

"You two are paranoid. Lux won't do that. We're trying to prevent either of us from ending up like Kayn or Quinn."

"So you say…"

…

Janna walked alone in the hall. Her face betraying her absolute focus. All of her surrounding were in her peripheral awareness. Mentally taking in all details and looking for anything. Any sign of ambush and she would redirect herself. Janna made sure to always be within running distance of the three safe zones. Unlucky for her, since the girls had the third floor rooms and the dinning hall and baths were on the first floor that meant all of second floor was a metaphorical 'no-man's land' for them. Because of this, moving from the first to third floor took a bit of stealth.

She turned the corner slowly, and spotted Akali. The two froze. Since they were on opposite ends of the hall, they would have to pass each other to get to the floor they wanted. For two minutes neither of them moved. Unwilling to concede to the other, yet unwilling to risk to see if they were each other's target.

A more experienced player might have realised that if a player wasn't gunning for you, they most likely don't have your card, an unwillingness to approach meant safety. A even more experienced player would use that preconception as a bluff.

Seeing as both girls were new to the game, they stood still, staring like deer in the headlights.

…

Speaking of experienced players...

Vi was hiding and lying in wait for her target. Having rushed to her location as soon as breakfast was done. She shifted inside the cramped closet. The blankets were making her sweat and the air was becoming stuffy but it would all be worth it once he came into his room. Even though his room was a safe area, once he left, she could follow him out and in the hallway with only the two of them, she could strike. All she needed to do was be patient for a little while longer.

Vi sighed, she should have waited a bit longer before entering his room and made sure her target was going to head back to their room in a reasonable time. She brought out her phone, triple checking that it was on silent, and started to play a mobile game. Reception was trash so she couldn't play any of the good ones but at least she was able to pass the time.

The door to the room opened and she quickly shut her phone off. Through the crack she left in the blankets and the closet door, she could see Malcolm walk inside. He plopped down onto his futon and stared at the ceiling. A bored and tired expression on his face.

She swore under her breath as she couldn't even sneak out if the plan turned sour.

Meanwhile Malcolm thought of how sick of Ping Pong he was and wondered why all the decks of cards were missing.

…

Rakan and Xayah sat atop an armchair. This part of the lounge had a massage chair that Rakan was currently abusing. Xayah swung her legs back and forth over the armrest while Rakan sat in the seat properly, thoroughly enjoying the massage. They hadn't found an opportune time to get Soraka or Ahri alone as the two were stuck together like glue. Xayah suspected Ahri was onto them. Which meant a new plan of attack was needed.

Tobias was also acting real buddy-buddy with them. Ahri was ordering Kayn around just as much as Tobias was. So they had to suspect he was in cahoots with them as well. Anything he or Kayn did would be watched with scrutiny.

Xayah sighed dramatically. "This is gonna be such a pain…"

Counting Ahri, Soraka, Sarah, Tobias, and Kayn, Syndra was regarded with suspicion even though she wasn't seen with them recently. That meant they were outnumbered six to two. They needed to start gathering their own team but Xayah had no idea who to recruit. Ashe, maybe. She had a good head on her shoulders and was quite cunning… but Sejuani was gunning for her, so maybe not. Caitlyn was totally out of the question, she might be a good snoop (sheriff of the school afterall) but she had a terrible poker face. She would be more of a liability. Vi was a no go since she was determined to be a lone wolf. She only showed up when there was a large group of players to hide amongst. No one really knew where she was now.

Xayah sat up. "Janna."

"Janna!" Rakan said mirroring his girlfriend "Are we just saying names?"

Xayah flicked Rakan's forehead, "No you idiot. Janna would be a perfect ally in this game. If we can get her on board, Lux and her bf Ez will no doubt fall in line too. With all of them we can take down Ahri and her group."

"Okay… so we do that."

Xayah hopped off her seat, and Rakan followed soon after. He wondered if he had been in the chair for too long as his back was feeling even worse than before, despite the massage. She lead them out of the lounge and into the halls, intent on snooping around for a bit to find them.

…

Ashe was sitting in her room, content with reading a book she had brought along for their trip. Across from her was Sejuani, who on the other hand was sitting impatiently, her leg bouncing more and more with each passing second. They had been sitting in there ever since breakfast had ended. There were other players heading into their own rooms when Sejuani was stalking Ashe so she had no time to carry out her elimination. Now they were both in their shared room which was coincidentally their shared safe zone... and Ashe was smugly aware of it.

"You don't have to cling to me, if you're bored go play ping pong with Olaf." Ashe flipped a page in her book.

"We could play doubles. Me and Olaf versus you and Trynd." Sejuani said. If Ashe was tempted into a competition then maybe she could lure her outside.

"Hmmm, no." Another page flip. There was no way she was reading that book that fast.

Sejuani's leg bounced more. "You're trapped, there's no way out of here for you."

"So you say…"

"Admit I got you."

"I'm still in the game."

Sejuani ran her hands through her hair. "Just step out of the room already. This is boring."

"I'm fine right here."

"Argh!"

…

Syndra watched as Zed and Shen played ninja. The two boys stayed perfectly still, until Shen move to swat Zed's hands. Zed moved his hands out of the way, striking an imbalanced pose. Varus who had been dragged along to play, tried to swat Shen's hands. He moved out of the way. On and on that went. Each boy striking something that vaguely resembled a kung fu pose, while at the same time trying to swat the other's hands.

Syndra watched them, bored and with no plan in motion for her own game. She trusted that Ahri would somehow keep her in out of a sense of comradery. She looked across the room and noticed Jhin was watching too. He had a sketch book in his lap and was sketching them. Guess it made sense. It was good practice for quick gesture drawing, the boys only held their pose for a few seconds, leaving Jhin to try and capture the moment before they moved to a different pose.

She heard a smack, and Zed cursed. He was rubbing his bare hand as Shen looked triumphant. Zed stepped aside and plopped himself next to her. Together they watched as Shen and Varus continued the game.

"That's five to seven. He still ahead by two." Syndra said as she examined her nails. She was tasked with keeping score between the two boys, the two of them just as competitive as they were when they were younger.

"Where's Kayn?" Zed ask, as he adjusted his kimono. The wild movements always shifted the cloths around to an uncomfortable positions.

Syndra frowned and folded her arms. "I don't know," and didn't care. Ahri and Sarah would be keeping him too busy for Zed and Zed should be focused on spending as much time as possible with her.

But speak of the devil and he'll appear. Kayn came walking into the room, head hung down desperately trying not to make eye contact with Zed. He was going to get so much flack for wearing this thing in front of his upperclassmen. As quick as he could, Kayn walked up to Syndra, and handed a note over to her.

"Ahri is wondering where you went…" Kayn said.

Syndra took the note and read it. All it had on it was a room number and a time. She pocketed it and resumed watching Varus and Shen finish their game. Zed was curious but knew if Syndra didn't want to share anything she wasn't going to. She wasn't a gossip like Ahri was.

Instead the older boy took in Kayn's state of dress. A million different things came to mind. What finally came out of his mouth was, "Didn't know you were into that sort of thing Kaynn." It made Kayn turn red to the tips of his ears.

"I-I'm not!"

A loud slap made the two turn to see Varus shaking his sore hand as Shen stood victorious. It was one thing for Zed to know and a whole other thing for Varus to find out. He was someone Kayn used to be friends with, their little middle school gang had disbanded once they got into highschool. But he knew Varus still talked from time to time with Aatrox, and if Aatrox found out…

Kayn turned on his heel and started to walk away, mumbling that he had to go. Zed stopped him though, hand coming to wrap around his shoulder.

"Hold up. I wanted to talk to you." Zed said.

"Uh…" Kayn looked past Zed to see Varus turning his way. Their eyes met and Kayn cursed long and loud in his head. Varus' eyes twinkled with mischief as he approached him.

Syndra, ever the opportunist to get Zed alone and to herself, got up and hook her arm around Zed's. "Kayn's gonna be busy." She saw that Kayn was still staring at Varus. "I'm guessing I have mastery over you like Ahri?"

Kayn frowned and nodded his head sadly.

"Go and chat with your old friend, Varus." Syndra looked extremely smug as she gave the order. "C'mon Zed, since Varus is going to be busy, let's go somewhere else. Somewhere we can get some alone time."

Zed looked back to Kayn and Varus, before deciding he's just gonna have to wait to catch up. He followed Syndra as she lead them out of the room.

…

Veigar was playing scrabble with Kennen, Rumble and Teemo. While he loathed to spend time with Teemo (for some reason he just found him to be extremely annoying especially when Rumble got him going) it was at least something to do.

Lulu was off to the side, sulking subtly. She didn't like being a double agent. Or was it now a triple agent? She was helping out both Poppy and Tristana, as their unsuspecting hitman, but she was also going to betray them to Tobias. She was suppose to tell him the girls' targets as soon as she found out but she thought she should at least put an honest effort in being a hitman first.

She stood up and walked out of the room, catching the guys' attention.

"I'm going back to the dining hall, maybe I can convince them to make me a snack."

Veigar watched her go. "Um, do you want me to come along?"

"I'm okay." She gave him a half smile. "If they make something, I'll bring it back to share."

She left, leaving Veigar and Kennen to share a look. They couldn't do anything. Maybe once the sting of losing wore off she'd return to her normal jubilance.

"Jeez, what'd you do Veigar?" Rumble asked, as he shuffled the tile bag.

"Wha- I didn't anything." Veigar said, shocked that they would assume he'd do anything.

"Kennen?" Teemo asked, looking over to the other yordle.

"I didn't do anything either!"

…

Lux paced around her room. Jinx was sitting on a futon, watching her create a rut in the bamboo mats. Ezreal had gone missing, and she was worried he got eliminated without her realizing it.

"You're worrying for nothing. No one's gonna make a move this early in the day. We just finished breakfast."

Lux pursed her lips. She wasn't so sure about that. Lux had noticed Vi rushing off alone right after she cleaned off her plate. "Even if he didn't get eliminated, he should've told me what his plan was. That way we can work together."

"Maybe he's trying to get you eliminated?"

"He'd never!"

"C'mon twinkles, an otaku like him? No way he's gonna pass up the opportunity to see his girlfriend in a maid uniform."

"He'd never!" Lux repeated. She bit her lip as she thought about all the anime figures he kept in his room. A lot of which were of character dressed as maids. She shook her head, believing that Ezreal had more decency than that. "He's probably just trying to figure out how to get the drop on Talon."

"Whatever you say…" Jinx stretched and laid down onto a spare futon. Hand resting behind her head.

…

Talon laid atop his futon, head resting on Quinn's lap. Being used as a pillow wasn't too bad in Quinn's mind. It was still demoralizing, but could be so much worse. She at least wasn't running around doing errands like Kayn. Right at this moment, Quinn could say that this was almost relaxing. She looked down to see Talon still staring at his card. It spun lazily in his hand, the rough handwriting pinched tightly between his finger and thumb.

"If Ezreal's after me, then it'll be pretty easy avoiding him and any of his friends. Lux is a ditz and Jayce is a big oaf." Talon said.

"Lux isn't a ditz." Quinn protested. "She's a whole lot smarter than you are."

"Hm, yeah you're right, I shouldn't underestimate them. She did get Jinx afterall." Talon sat up. Allowing Quinn to wipe her skirt free of Talon. "I have to figure out a way to save myself before they get the drop on me. I'll have to stick close to the safe zones until I figure out a strategy."

"You can't stay in your room all game though. You'll have to go eat eventually"

Talon looked at Quinn, his eyes staring at her as an idea formed. "Actually I can… You can go out for me."

"And what? Deliver you your food whenever you want to eat? Yeah right, I'm not going to do that."

"I mean pull off my hits for me." He held up his card. "I can stay in my room while you do the eliminating."

She rolled her eyes at him and then reached for the card. He pulled it back out of her reach.

"First, I need you to spy on Ezreal for me. I need to figure out what he's planning so I can play around it."

Quinn tried to hide her smirk, if she can get in touch with Ezreal than maybe she can turn this around on Talon. "Whatever you say, master." Talon hid his own smirk as he noticed Quinn trying to hide hers. She really was too gullible.

…

Taliyah was outside. Yes out in the monsoon weather. No one would think of hiding out here. She was on a porch watching the rain trickle off the rooftops. Despite how heavy the rain was, it was quite pleasing to listen to. The rainfall calmed her down. She reached out and felt the rain hit her palm, the heavy drops pelted her skin. She had to pull it back after a second, it was so cold.

The door opened behind her and she hid. All of yesterday, this was her strategy. Wait it out until she was the last one standing. It was her best bet. She didn't know her targets face, only that it was one of Lux's friends. She knew Jinx, so it couldn't be here. Caitlyn had gotten on her case multiple times about skateboarding in the halls. It wasn't a yordle. So that left the pink haired girl, and blond haired girl. She should ask someone while she still could.

Taliyah peered around and looked through the sliding glass door. It was only the hotel staff. They looked around the room, did a light sweeping of the lounge and continued to the porch. When she got outside, they gasped as Taliyah caught them by surprise. The girl looked sheepish and apologized.

"You're one of the kids playing that game right?" They asked.

"Uh, yeah. I'm sorta hiding."

"Could've given me a warning." They said, hands on their hips.

"Sorry."

The staff rolled their eyes and went back inside. They gave Taliyah a warning not to scare any of the other staff, and left. Taliyah sighed, and turned back to looking out into the rain. There was a large flash of light. Taliyah counted a the seconds before the thunder caught up. It was a lot closer than she would have guessed.

The thunder rolled in and all the lights in the hotel turned off. Taliyah looked around surprised. It was a power outage.

…

Ms. Laurent was talking to the hotel manager. They were expected for the monsoon to lighten up by the end of next week. Until then they were to remain here.

"The road into town is a bit perilous, but shouldn't be that bad with our experienced drivers." The manager said confidently. "We are happy to keep you here regardless, and we shouldn't risk trying to leave anytime soon."

"Still." Ms. Laurent tapped her chin, "I would really appreciate it if I can get into contact with our school. If I may just head into town when your next delivery comes, I'd greatly appreciate that…" It felt like she was talking in circles. Everytime she tried to ask to leave, the hotel manager would try to dissuade her. She understood that if anything happened, he'd be held as responsible, but he needed to understand that she was responsible for these kids. So whether or not he liked it, she was going to get in contact with the school. Reassure that they were okay.

The lights all flickered and shut off all at once.

Ms. Laurent looked at the manager who was surprised by the sudden power outage. "When's the next truck leaving?"

"Ah...uh, at twelve." Some of the lights came back on as a backup generator restored power. "Here, I'll help you get ready…"

* * *

 **Players Status**

Lux - Alive

Jinx - Dead (Eliminated by Lux) - Maid to Lux

Janna - Alive

Poppy - Alive

Lulu - Dead (Eliminated by Tobias) - Maid to Tobias

Ahri - Alive

Sarah Fortune - Alive

Syndra - Alive

Soraka - Alive

Ezreal - Alive

Jayce - Alive

Ekko - Alive

Vi - Alive

Caitlyn - Alive

Quinn - Dead (Eliminated by Talon) - Maid to Talon

Talon - Alive

Ashe - Alive

Sejuani - Alive

Taliyah - Alive

Akali - Alive

Tristana - Alive

Rakan - Alive

Xayah - Alive

Tobias Fate - Alive

Kayn - Dead (Eliminated by Tobias) - Maid to Tobias

* * *

A/N: That's a wrap. Just a quick short chapter as I think of how the next round of eliminations will play out. Thanks again to my Beta for reading my error filled writing, and helping me think of more scenes.


	5. Caught in the Dark

**[Day 2 of Murder - Day 4 of School Trip - Afternoon]**

The teachers had gathered all of the students back in the dining hall. Since the sudden blackout had caused many of them to panic and worry, they needed to be reassured that nothing was wrong; or rather, nothing was bad as it seemed. They sat in their seats as the staff came around with flashlights. Luckily there was a decent amount of electric lanterns and flashlights in storage since guests who came to hike on the trails around the hotel often forgot them after they left and so the hotel had many to use. A staff member came and placed a lantern onto each of the tables.

As the students began to quiet down, Braum cleared his throat to gather their attention. "The storm has caused a major blackout in hotel and part of city. Luckily for us, hotel has backup generator that can be used in such times. Unluckily for us, generator has limited amount of use, so many hallways and unused sections of the hotel must remain dark to provide power elsewhere."

Many of the students started talking in hushed whispers. The school trip was already ruined, what else could go wrong? Braum again calmed the students, his smile never wavering even in this dire time. "No need to worry, we are not in danger, and the manager has informed me that power will be diverted to rec room for our continued use."

"Where's Ms. Laurent?" Lux asked. She had noticed that only Professor Ryze and Couch Braum were here to consol the students.

"Good question. She has gone with some staff to head into town to contact school. While staff is hospitable in taking care of us during our extended stay, we are still trying our best to get home as quickly as possible." Braum turned to the manager of the hotel, who gave him a reassuring thumbs up. "In meantime, lunch is within a few hours, by then dining hall will have lights on and food ready. The staff has special surprise, so don't be late."

The students exchanged looks ranging from frustration, aloofness, boredom, and everything in between. Slowly, they got up from their seats and wandered back through the hotel towards their rooms or the communal areas like the rec room, one of the only places with lights on.

…

Caitlyn was wandering back and forth through the crowd leaving the dining hall. She hadn't seen Vi at all during the impromptu meeting and she was getting a bit worried. She saw Ekko trying to coral Ezreal away from Lux and Jinx and she walked up to them.

"Hey, have you seen Vi?"

Ezreal shrugged off Ekko and turned to Caitlyn. "I haven't seen her since breakfast."

"Me either." Lux said.

Ekko and Jinx nodded along.

"Alright… let me know when you do? Game aside, I'm a little worried I haven't seen her since the blackout." Caitlyn said.

"Of course." Lux agreed. Out of everyone here, Caitlyn trusted only Lux would 'pause' the game for her sake.

Caitlyn nodded and went on her way. She wanted to find Vi and soon. That girl had a knack for getting into trouble, even thought she was suppose to be part of the disciplinary committee and should be setting an example to her fellow students. Caitlyn passed a few more students and saw Jayce and, surprisingly enough, Talon whispering to each other. The two hushed up when they saw her approaching. Talon nudged Jayce and with a nod in return left the dining hall alone.

"Hey, uh," Caitlyn watched Talon slink between students effortlessly, catching up to Quinn who had been waiting for him, then turned back to Jayce "Um, have you seen Vi? This isn't related to the game by the way."

"Oh, in that case, nope, haven't seen her."

…

Veigar walked through the dark hallways with Kennen. While neither wanted to admit it, both were uneasy with how the hotel looked now that the lights were off. The old mansion had a eerie quality to it, the long halls would squeak and creak as the hotel shifted underneath the unrelenting wind. Veigar swore that the hall even swayed if you stared down its length for too long.

The duo turned the corner and found themselves in a hall lined with windows. The monsoon outside only let in the tiniest bit of light. Light was light however, and they felt more comfortable now that they could see. Veigar sighed in relief as he walked closer to the window. He stared outside and watched the rain pelt the glass.

"Teemo and Rumble still want to play scrabble." Kennen said, he watched some raindrops race down the window pane. They merged into the puddle pooling at the windowsill.

"I don't feel like it anymore." Veigar said, "The blackout pretty much dampened my enthusiasm."

"You feel enthusiasm?"

Veigar scoffed. "Lulu thinks I'm fun."

Kennen rolled his eyes, then conceded and nodded in agreement, "You are surprisingly good at video games."

"Where _is_ Lulu? I haven't seen her since she left to get snacks." Veigar looked up and down the empty hall but he only saw the darkened ends that the windows failed to illuminate.

…

Kayn wanted to scream. No matter what he did, he couldn't shake Varus. The boy was more ecstatic to see Kayn in a maid uniform than Ahri was. Even during the blackout he never left Kayn's side, sticking with him during Braum's meeting. Now Kayn found himself sitting at the base of an armchair as Varus braided his hair. It wasn't as relaxing as it sounded. Some girls watching nearby giggled at him as they continued to watch. It made Kayn's face burn with embarrassment.

"Where did you learn this?" Kayn asked, trying to shift in his seat so he didn't have to stare at the classmates watching him.

Varus clicked his tongue disapprovingly, and forced Kayn to sit up straight and turned his head forward. "My dads taught me."

"Your dad?"

"Dads, plural. You met them when you came over with Aatrox." Varus curled the braid up and around, creating a bun. He held it in place with one hand as he searched for something to keep it up. "Remember? They coached me in archery."

"The two with the buzzcuts?"

"Kai grew his hair out since then." Varus gave up finding a hair clip, and found a pencil instead. It would be temporary but it would hold regardless. He made sure the bun was tight, and carefully pushed the pencil into the braid. "He has it in a bun now. Valmar still has the buzzcut."

Varus let go of the bun, it sagged a little as gravity took hold. It held its place though and Varus smiled at his work.

Kayn thought about Varus and his dads. It was a long while ago since he visited Varus' house. Kayn had thought that the two older men were Varus' older brothers but he was wrong. For some reason, knowing Varus had two dads was reassuring for Kayn. He smiled, and Varus patted him on his shoulders.

"Now you're ready to see Zed!"

"What!?" Kayn turned around to stare up at Varus.

"That's not what this is about?" He pouted slightly as he took in Kayn's state of dress.

"No, this is because of Tobias."

"Huh, didn't think he was into you like that."

"I mean this isn't…" Kayn shook his head. "This isn't for Tobias or Zed. This is because of a dumb game I lost."

"Okay that's a relief. That uniform doesn't suit you, definitely not Zed's type. It's a good thing you weren't planning on confessing to him dressed like that."

Kayn's jaw went slack as Varus stood up and helped him to his feet. The boy straightened out his friend's skirt, and made sure the bow was on tight in the back. Varus noticed the slack jawed expression and rolled his eyes before he held a hand up to close it gently.

"I've known…" Varus did a final once over and made sure Kayn was presentable. "The day you left our gang was the same day you started going to that dojo in Ionia. Aatrox and I followed you one day and saw you training with Zed. You were staring at him so much, you might as well have had hearts for eyes."

Kayn looked down at his feet, and played with the hem of his skirt. And he thought he was being subtle with his crush.

"Aatrox was mad of course. He thought you betrayed our gang to join another, but I talked him down." Varus wrapped an arm around Kayn. "Even though you don't hang out with us anymore, we still consider you Darkin, Rhaast."

"Please don't call me that… it's a terrible nickname."

"At least Aatrox didn't get on you for not having the double 'A' thing."

…

It took awhile for Syndra to find the right room for Ahri's secret meeting. The dark halls made navigating the hotel so much harder. In the end she had to get around by touch, good thing the doors had number plates. With a bit of effort she could feel the plating and read the number. She slowly opened the door, and noticed that there were some people inside already. Sitting around the room were Ahri, Soraka, and Sarah. The girls were only illuminated by a phone's flashlight laying flat against the table. It gave them a look that screamed evil secret society.

Ahri waved her inside quickly. "Get in here." She hissed.

"Syndra, where's Kayn?" Sarah asked, upset that their new toy was left behind.

"He's with Varus." Syndra took a seat closest to the door.

"Huh, thought he'd try and stick to Zed."

"He needs to learn to stay away from Zed, so a punishment was required."

"You're so possessive, I love it." Ahri laughed. "But we're getting off topic. Xayah and Rakan have been on our tails ever since they tried to trap Soraka. We need to turn on them before they get the drop on us."

"Okay…" Syndra leaned back in her seat. If Ahri called this meeting then it meant she already had a plan. Syndra only needed to hear it out. "So what's your plan?"

"The safe zones, where are they?"

Syndra rolled her eyes, Ahri was always a flare for the dramatic. Either way she obliged her, and answered the questions. "The dining hall, the baths and the bedrooms."

"Your _OWN_ bedroom… Xayah and Rakan don't share a room, no matter how much they want to."

…

Lulu walked up the stairs very carefully. Her hand never leaving the wall. It was hard enough being a yordle as most buildings not designed by yordles weren't built to accommodate their short stature. The blackout made navigating the staircase a whole new troublesome obstacle. She had reached the top without realizing and it threw her off balance, causing her to stumble on the last step.

Maybe she should have taken a lantern the staff were using to get around. Braum had said they would help accommodate the students. This would be helping accommodate her. She sighed, today wasn't going that well. She hadn't found a opportune time to do the hit for Poppy or Tristana. Now she was gonna have to tell Tobias about their plan. Betraying friends like this sucked. Maybe next game she'd pass and be a referee like Veigar.

It was a while longer before she found Tobias' room. She wanted to make this quick as lunch is going to start soon, and she never did get those snacks she set out for, so she was getting hungry. Lulu knocked on the door and waited.

No one answered. Tobias isn't here, nor is any of his roommates. Should Lulu come back another time?

Lulu thought what to do, when she heard someone inside. They were trying to be quiet, but in the dark all noises sounded louder. Lulu pressed herself against the wall as the door swung open very very slowly. Whoever was inside was trying to be as stealthy as possible. Lulu could barely make out a silhouette in the crack of the door. The person was tall and had spiky hair. They continued to look around the hall to see who knocked on the door. Lulu was too short, and flew under their awareness.

A flash of light caught the unknown person and Lulu's attention. They both looked down the hall and saw Malcolm making his way back to his room, using his phone to light his way. He wasn't a player, so he could care less about being caught out in the hall. Lulu watched him, then heard the person behind the door quickly shuffle back inside. She looked back and noticed the door was closed. Lulu looked to the door then to Malcolm. Should she say anything?

"Hey." Malcolm said as he got closer, finally noticing he wasn't alone in the hall. The light from the phone shone on Lulu's face, and she had to hold a hand up to block the glare. "What're you doing?"

"Oh um… I'm looking for Tobias."

"Isn't everyone… Bet he still schmoozing it up with Ahri, lucky bastard." He did a little shooing motion, and Lulu stepped aside. He used his key on the door and noticed the door was unlocked. "Huh, strange."

He got halfway through the door, when he turned back to Lulu. "What you need Tobias for?"

"Nothing really. Just wanted to tell him something."

Malcolm shrugged. "Ok." It really didn't matter to him. Tobias could do whatever he wanted, so long as it didn't get Malcolm in trouble. He closed the door and left Lulu waiting in the hall without even asking her if she wanted to pass the message along.

She sighed, and turned around. Guess she'd get a start on looking for Tobias.

…

Janna found that her room wasn't empty when she opened the door. Inside she saw Xayah and Rakan sitting atop on of her roommate's futon, their bodies only lit up from the light coming in from the window. She raised an eyebrow, they couldn't have come to eliminate her, she was inside her safe zone and she was still certain Akali had her card.

She stepped inside and sat down on her own futon. "Well this is a surprise."

"I'll cut to the chase." Xayah said. "We want to make an alliance with you."

"May I ask why?" Janna remained calm, this was a calculated plan no doubt. She can't let her guard down at all, even if she was in a safe zone.

"Cause everyone is outnumbered so long as Ahri and her group stay in the game. No one will be able to win against them." Xayah said, "Think about how many players are left and how many are already in league with Ahri."

Janna let Xayah's words sink in. Ahri's group was five strong. If she included Kayn, than it pushed that number up to six, even if he was already eliminated. That was nearly a quarter of the players left still in the game. "I see your point."

"Then team up with us." Xayah said.

"We can help you get your target to sweeten the deal." Rakan added on.

"That might be tougher than you think. I've barely seen her ever since the game started."

…

Lux was wary of Ekko and Jayce. They were hanging around Ezreal a lot, at least more than usual, and were very pushy in trying to get him separated from her. It screamed to her that they were trying to get him eliminated, or even worse eliminate her. There was no way in hell she was going to be a maid for either of them. Especially Jayce, Lux suppressed a shudder. She had her arm locked around Ezreal's arm and the two of them walked the dark halls. Jinx walked beside them, using her phone to illuminate the path for her master.

They turned to see a familiar hall, a few doors down and Lux will find her safe zone. She let out a sigh of relief. As the trio neared Lux's room, they found someone waiting at her door. As the light shone on the maid uniform Lux quirked an eyebrow.

"Quinn?"

The girl shush Lux quickly, a finger coming up to her lips to quiet them. She nudged her head to Lux's room. Lux and Ezreal looked at each other. Ezreal was looking for an opportunity to get Quinn on their side, and yet finding her here, on her own, put them on edge. Lux unlocked her room, and Quinn ushered them in quickly, looking back into the dark hall to make sure no one else was there. She eased the door closed without so much as a click from the lock. Lux Ezreal and Jinx were already on their futons, when Quinn decided to join them on the floor.

"Ez, give me your card!" Quinn half whispered half yelled.

Lux put an arm on Ezreal's, stopping him from doing anything too rash. "Why?"

"Look, Talon hasn't let me out of his sight until now. I need to grab Ezreal's card while I can, so I can eliminate the jerk. Turn the tables on him and this stupid maid thing."

Ezreal looked to Lux, "I think we should let her have it. She's gonna be the only person he'll allow to get close. He's not gonna let me or you, or even Jinx step into his line of sight."

Lux rolled her lip between her teeth, she had to be smart about this. Talon was way smarter than he let on. While not book smart, he knew how other people thought. He knew Ezreal had his card. He also knew that Quinn was aware of Ezreal's card. It wasn't that far of a stretch to assume that Ezreal would use Quinn as a hitman. So if he knew Ezreal would try to use Quinn against him, then he'd be smart to use that against Quinn and Ezreal instead. They could play around this. Talon thought he knew Quinn, Lux knew that he knew Quinn, but he probably didn't know that Lux knew… about Quinn. Lux rubbed her temples, a little confused, but sure she wasn't over thinking this.

"Don't give her your card Ezreal." Lux said.

Quinn wanted to protest, Ezreal on the other hand waited for Lux to explain herself.

"Talon is probably waiting for Ezreal to give Quinn his card. That way he could call Ezreal out for having a hitman, leading to Ezreal's elimination." Lux started. "But if you keep your card Ezreal, and Quinn plays as if Talon's plan had worked. He'll approach Ezreal himself, allowing Ezreal to eliminate him."

"A double bluff." Jinx chimed into the conversation. "Awesome."

"Quinn, pretend you have Ezreal's card. He'll make his own move when he's ready, and we'll be able to counter it." Lux said.

Quinn frowned, she would honestly rather be the one to eliminate Talon. Personally wipe that smug grin off his face. But she had to concede to Lux. She's clearly thinking this through more. That didn't mean she has to like it though. "Ugh, fine. Promise you'll as least pass mastery over to me? I need to get payback somehow."

Ezreal smiled. "Yeah alright. Talon in a mini skirt is the last thing I want to see anyways."

Quinn got to her feet, giving one last nod to Lux. Lux held a finger to her lips, and winked. "I'll go find Talon." She left the room, making sure to do so as quietly as she could.

Lux flopped down on her futon, this game was way more nerve wracking than she thought. Dealing with Talon was proving to be difficult, and he wasn't even her target. Her target was going to be even harder to get a hold of.

A knock on her door pulled her away from her thoughts. She sat up, and flashed a look to Ezreal. She cleared her throat and called out to the unknown guest. "Who is it?"

Another knock and a hushed whisper.

Lux turned to Jinx, and ordered her to answer the door for them. She was being a bit paranoid, but having Jinx answer was better than having her or Ezreal do it. Jinx got to her feet and walked to the door. She inched it open and saw Talon leaning against the wall. Jinx was surprised to see him so soon. They had only just let Quinn out a minute ago. Jinx pulled the door open, wide enough for Lux to see Talon peering around the frame. The black haired boy waved, and nodded to Ezreal.

"Quinn come by here? I've been looking for her since she snuck off."

Lux didn't know how to respond. This was part of the plan, yes, but she wasn't expecting Talon to react this fast. Only a minute or so had passed since Quinn left. She hesitated to answer him. Ezreal however didn't.

"Yeah she was just here. She was looking for you too, actually." Ezreal said. "Want to wait here for her?"

Talon shook his head. His eyes narrowed at Ezreal, wondering what he's up to. "I'm good."

Ezreal glanced back into the hallway, half expecting Quinn to jump out at Talon. "Then I can help you look for her, she may be heading to your room right now."

Talon took a step back, pulling away from the door. "Never mind then, if she's going back to my room I can go there myself." He gave a quick wave, and speed walked down the hall.

Ezreal got to his feet to give chase. Lux pulled at his hand, making him pause. "Wait maybe it's a trap. A triple bluff." She warned.

"I still have his card, he won't be able to eliminate me either way." Ezreal leapt out of the room, and vaguely saw Talon at the end of the hall. He half ran after him.

The shallow light form the room quickly died out in the hall, and Ezreal had to slow down to a speed walk. His hand guided him down the length of the hall. When his hand felt the corner, he turned and nearly ran into someone. He grabbed him, thinking it was Talon, but the size was off. Whoever this was, was bigger than Talon. A flashlight came on behind the blond boy, illuminating the person he was holding to be Jayce. Ezreal stared wide eyed at his best friend, he turned around to see Talon holding his phone, the flashlight app on.

"Wha- wait" Ezreal stuttered.

"Sorry buddy, this is for your own good." Jayce wrapped Ezreal up in a tight hug. Lifting him up off his feet. Ezreal tried to wiggle free, but it was useless. Talon came up and grabbed onto his legs, and together with Jayce they carried Ezreal further down the hall. Effectively kidnapping him.

"LUX!" Ezreal called out.

Lux snapped to attention when she heard Ezreal call for her. She shot a glance to Jinx who was suppressing her excitement. This game was getting good, and there was no way she was going to interfere with her entertainment. Lux groaned at Jinx, she wasn't going to be any help. She got to her feet and ran out of the room.

She got two steps out when she heard her door slam shut. She whirled around and saw Ekko, hand firm on the door knob and acting as barricade to her safe room. Lux saw the glint in Ekko's eye, and his hand reached into his kimono. Lux spun back around and just ran. Ekko's voice caught in shock, he hadn't expected her to just bolt. This is why he'd rather play with the 'tag' rules. It prevented people from just running away when they clearly should have been eliminated. He ran after her. She was still alone in the hall, if he could just catch her, then he could eliminate her.

Further down the hall, Jayce and Talon ran with Ezreal in their arms. Lux was out for their throats now, and there was no way they were planning on getting caught by her. From the sounds of running behind them, Ekko failed to get the drop on her, and she was now chasing after them. Jayce stumbled, and made Talon curse, they almost dropped Ezreal, who also cursed.

…

Tobias was snooping around the third floor. He wasn't invited to Ahri's top secret meeting, and decided it was a better use of his time trying to determine the room assignments of the girls. A sleazy thing to do if done for its own sake, but he was planning out how to eliminate further competition for a game. So that made it an adequate excuse for him. He didn't need to be part of every move Ahri made, and while he would like to know what she was planning, he had his own ideas to work on.

As he rounded the corner when he heard a number of feet thundering down the hall. He wanted to pull out his phone, use it as a flashlight to see what the hell is going on, but he held back. He pressed himself flat against the wall, and let whoever was running pass by him unnoticed.

"Slow down, I can't see." someone whisper yelled.

Tobias vaguely saw three people, one being carried, run by him. A moment later he heard someone else, this one much lighter on their feet, run by, and finally a fifth and final person pass by.

He laughed to himself. Some players lacked any sense of tact, this was a game of intellect. Running down the hall after your target wasn't going to work. Tobias pushed off the wall and started to head to his room. He tripped a moment later, and heard someone yelp by his feet.

"Sorry sorry." Lulu said.

Tobias felt around for his hat, and when he found it, pushed it firmly onto his head. "Lulu, what're you doing down there?" He was surprised to find her here of all places.

"I was looking for you, but I couldn't find you, so I went back to my room, but then I heard running, so I hid."

"Same here." He got back to his feet, and knelt down to where he thought Lulu was, and helped her to her own feet. "Ignoring our accidental run in, luck seems to be on your side. You found me. And if you were looking for me than that means my little spy has some good news."

"Uh, yeah… I found out who Poppy and Tristana's targets are."

"Ah, quiet. Let's talk somewhere that doesn't have other players hiding around in the dark." Tobias let Lulu hold onto his kimono, so he may guide her back downstairs and to his room.

…

Vi was sweating now. She'd been hiding inside this closet for at least four hours. The only breath of cool air she had got was when that blackout turned off all the lights. Malcolm went rushing off to figure out what the hell was happening, allowing her to air herself out. She feared that she had been caught when someone came knocking, but it was only Malcolm returning to his room. A very close call, if the blackout hadn't turned off all the lights, she would have been caught in a room she wasn't supposed to be in.

She heard the door swing open, and she shuffled further back into the closet. The lights in the room were off, meaning the only visible light was the dim sunlight coming through the clouds from the window. It made it difficult to see who it was, his silhouette was the only thing she could really see. Good thing even in the dark, that ugly fedora was very distinct. Vi shuffled around in her hiding spot, pushing aside some blankets out of her way quietly, and stood just behind the door.

"There you are, Tobias. Where the hell you've been all day?" Malcolm said as he sat up from his futon.

"Busy, Malcolm." Tobias said.

"Pft, yeah busy with Ahri, ya bastard."

"Now don't be jealous, just cause you ain't having any luck."

"Just looking out for you, Ahri ain't the purest of gals."

"That I know." Tobias said with a wink. Malcolm shook his head and chuckled to himself.

Lulu stepped aside and cleared her throat, pulling the two's attention onto her. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't talk about Ahri like that."

Vi held back a curse, she hadn't seen Lulu until now. This would ruin her plan if she couldn't catch Tobias out alone in the hall. She stayed her hand, and kept still. He was still in his safe zone after all, jumping out would accomplish nothing.

"Right, almost forgot we had a lady gracing us with her presence." Tobias gestured to the futon, offering Lulu a seat.

She refused, wanting to get this over with quickly.

Tobias shrugged and plopped down onto his futon, lounging back so his head was propped up by his hand. He gestured to Malcolm with his other hand. "Malcolm knows about the game, so you ain't got nothing to worry bout him. Just go ahead and spill, what're Tristana and Poppy up to."

Vi glanced down to Lulu, she was surprised that Lulu of all people was playing double agent. She suppressed a grin, the back stab, the betrayal, this game was getting exciting.

Lulu sighed, "Tristana and Poppy gave me their cards to do both their hits. They have fake cards on them to bluff anyone who calls them out."

"Wait that's where all the cards went?" Malcolm asked suddenly. He shot a glance to Tobias, who shrugged in return. He hadn't known what happened to the cards.

"Their targets who are they?" Tobias asked, ignoring Malcolm.

"Tristana has Jayce and Poppy has Caitlyn."

Vi almost laughed gleefully. Caitlyn was her girlfriend, and she loved her dearly. She would do anything for her. She would also betray her girlfriend's trust in this game if it meant sticking her in a maid uniform for her own amusement. Vi wiped the drool from her lip. She told herself to calm down, even if she eliminated Poppy via hitman callout, that didn't mean she'd get Caitlyn's card.

Tobias smirked as he heard Jayce's name. He removed his card from his sleeve in a practiced motion that would put anyone playing poker with him on the edge of their seats, Ekko's penmanship marred the card. Tweedle dee and tweedle dumb would make excellent additions to his roster of maids if he can figure out how to get ahold of the card. And he would be sure to earn some of the girls' favor for taking out more of the boys.

"Alright, here's what we'll do, my little maid." That little slip from Tobias made Vi double take, Lulu had been eliminated and was actually his maid. This meant she could go ahead with her plan and ambush him in the hallway. Better yet, now she was in a position to eliminate three players. Vi calmed herself, if she slipped and jumped the gun now she'd ruin any chances she had at winning. She had yet to lose a game of Murder, and she wasn't gonna lose now. Tobias continued, and Vi paid closer attention to his plan. "Lunch is up in a bit, you can go and meet up with Poppy and Tristana. During lunch claim you pulled off one of their hits. Doesn't matter which. We can separate them when they go see Veigar, and call each other one after the other."

"Okay." Lulu nodded along, after this was over she was sure he'd be done with the orders and she could go back to hanging with Veigar conscious free. "Should I go find them now?"

"Yes. We should head down now and wait for them at the dining hall. It's a safe zone so they wouldn't be afraid of heading there." Tobias stood up and swung the door open, letting Lulu out first. Malcolm stood up too, might as well go with, they were going to the dining hall for lunch after all.

As the trio stood just outside their door, Vi stepped out of the closet, an evil smile on her face. Tobias was only a step out of his room when a heavy hand landed on his shoulder and held him firm. Tobias stiffened at the touch, he whirled around and saw Malcolm stumble to the side surprised by the sudden appearance of a fourth person. Lulu too was stepping out of Malcolm's way, caught off guard by Malcolm almost walking over her. All eyes snapped onto Vi as she held up Tobias' card up to his face.

"Howdy." Vi said, mimicking Tobias accent.

Tobias looked to Vi, she had come from his own room, his eyes snapped to Malcolm, accusations running across his mind. Malcolm saw the look in his friend's eyes and shook his head, also in disbelief.

Lulu on the other hand smiled. "OH, you're the one I saw hiding inside!"

"Whu- why didn't you tell me someone snuck into my room!?" Tobias stuttered out, turning to Lulu in absolute shock.

Lulu shrugged. "I didn't think it was important."

Vi slung an arm around Tobias, and he caught a whiff of all the musk she accumulated while hiding inside his closet. He gagged softly and held his nose. She just smiled uncaring about his discomfort "You don't know how long I was waiting for your ass to show up." He didn't know, but he could fathom a guess just by her stink. "Now then, let's go get lunch. I'm starving. Lulu you're coming with, you're not off the hook yet."

Lulu's smiled died as she realized she is gonna have to play spy for a while longer.

* * *

 **Players Status**

Lux - Alive

Jinx - Dead (Eliminated by Lux) - Maid to Lux

Janna - Alive

Poppy - Alive

Lulu - Dead (Eliminated by Tobias) - Maid to Vi

Ahri - Alive

Sarah Fortune - Alive

Syndra - Alive

Soraka - Alive

Ezreal - Alive

Jayce - Alive

Ekko - Alive

Vi - Alive

Caitlyn - Alive

Quinn - Dead (Eliminated by Talon) - Maid to Talon

Talon - Alive

Ashe - Alive

Sejuani - Alive

Taliyah - Alive

Akali - Alive

Tristana - Alive

Rakan - Alive

Xayah - Alive

Tobias Fate - Dead (Eliminated by Vi) - Maid to Vi

Kayn - Dead (Eliminated by Tobias) - Maid to Vi


	6. Killing Spree

**[Day 2 of Murder - Day 4 of School Trip - Afternoon]**

Running in the dark was a bad idea. Jayce was straining to see where he was going and running backwards while carrying his best friend in his arms didn't make it any easier. Especially when said best friend was kicking and wriggling like a fish out of water. It was a good thing that the hotel's halls looped in on themselves, so there was no risk in running out of hallway.

Wait a minute. He hadn't heard Lux or Ekko in a while…

"You think Ekko caught up to Lux?" Jayce said over his shoulder.

"I don't know, maybe." Talon adjusted his grip on Ezreal's legs.

"Can you put me down now?" Ezreal said.

"Shut up." Talon snapped, "Head to my room. We need to meet up with Ekko, he should be there with Lux if everything went as planned."

Jayce nodded. He hefted Ezreal up in a tighter hug and turned towards the stairs, the second floor had all the boys' rooms. Even through the darkness, they were able to navigate the stairs in relative ease. Much to Ezreal's relief, he was sure they'd drop him the second they hit the stairs.

As they approached Talon's room, they slowed as they saw the familiar white mohawk of Ekko pounding a fist on the wood door. The boy saw them and ran a hand through his hair.

"Lux locked herself in there with Quinn." He said frustrated.

Talon dropped Ezreal's legs and pushed Ekko aside. "Good thing I have the key then." He slipped the key into the lock and pushed against the door. It held firm as he heard Lux strain on the other side. He planted his feet harder and shoved. This time it gave way all too easy and he stumbled inside as Lux and Quinn jumped out of the way. Lux leapt over him, but was body blocked as Ekko jumped in the way. Lux yelped and stepped back. Ekko drew his card out, Lux's neat penmanship written across it.

"Gotcha." Ekko said.

"There's a witness." Lux quickly pointed to Talon, who was getting to his feet. "You can't eliminate me."

Ekko face palmed, and pointed to the door, "Dude get out of here."

Ezreal ducked out of Jayce grip, finally getting free. The excitement of everything was a distraction enough for his hold to loosen. Ezreal slipped into the room, card already in hand. Talon's name on it. Talon smirked and gestured to the room, his safe zone. He wasn't going to be eliminated while he stood here.

Jayce stood at the doorway, eyes flickering from one player to the next. All four stood tense in the room. "A mexican standoff." He muttered under his breath.

"A what?" Quinn asked also watching everyone with wrapped attention.

"It's a mexican standoff." He repeated, "Talon and Ekko are in a position to eliminate Lux, while Lux and Ezreal are in a position to eliminate Talon."

"It's not a mexican standoff," Ekko said, "it's only a standoff if both oppositions are in situation where both can be eliminated, we're in Talon's room. We have the upper hand here."

"Plus you're on our side too you dolt." Talon said, he look over to the two blondes, "You two lost."

Lux sided over to Ezreal, "You can't eliminate me with everyone else around though. I have to be caught out alone, and Ezreal won't let that happen."

Ezreal nodded, his hand reached over to Lux's, a move of solidarity. Lux bit her lip as her hand intertwined with his. Ezreal gestured to everyone in the room with his open hand. "We can all walk away, neither you or Lux eliminated."

"No way. Jayce close the door" Talon said, jabbing a finger at the big guy. When Jayce didn't move, he grumbled and went to close the door himself. Lux and Ezreal stepped out of the way, not knowing if he'd try to grab Ezreal by force like last time.

Lux stepped around Ezreal, pushing him between herself and the trio of boys. She looked behind her, Quinn leaning against the wall. Their eyes met and Lux bit her lip again. She looked back to Talon, "What, you plan on keeping us here? Lunch is in a few minutes, we have to go or else Braum is going to come looking for us."

"She has us there…" Jayce said.

Ekko pinched the bridge of his nose, "Jayce, you can't give up so easily. We have Lux cornered, we can get her eliminated her and now. If we're late, we're late. Braum won't care."

"But there's a special surprise this time, what if it's barbeque?"

"Focus Jayce, lunch can wait." Talon snapped. He looked over to Ekko, they had reached a compromise if their original plan hadn't worked out. "Ezreal, we'll make you a deal. You don't eliminate me, and in exchange, Ekko passes mastery of Lux over to you once he eliminates her."

"Why would he take that deal?" Lux said, "That still gets me eliminated. No deal."

"Hold on." Ezreal said

"What do you mean 'hold on'?" Lux pulled away from him and bumped into Quinn, who caught herself by stepping around her and moving to the back of the room. Lux looked at Ezreal with accusation. "Jinx was right, you are gonna trying to get me as a maid."

"No no," Ezreal waved empty his hands, trying to derail Lux's train of thought. "I mean, I have a different idea, a different sort of deal." Ezreal turned to Ekko, "A trade. My card, Talon, for your card, Lux."

Lux was about to round on Ezreal when he whispered to her, "I'll promise to keep your card, I won't use it, and let you stay in the game until the end.

"Deal." Ekko said, breaking the two apart.

"No deal." Talon said, glaring at Ekko. Temporary truce aside, there was no way he was going to trust Ekko, a veteran in this game, with his card. Talon was a loner, and would be a much easier target than Lux. Talon knew that, and Ekko knew that.

"Not your choice. It's my card, so it's my deal to make." Ekko said with finality. He looked to Jayce, who after silently debating in his head to side with nodded back. Jayce pushed passed Talon and opened the door. Ekko stepped outside and gestured for Ezreal and Lux to follow. "We'll go see Veigar, maybe he's still in his room and we can catch him before we go get lunch."

Talon stood in his room as he saw his plan split apart. So much for that 'bros' alliance. He looked over to Quinn, she held her hands behind her back and shrugged. She could honestly care less about his plan failing, beside she had something else on her mind and she was trying to keep her excitement under control. A sudden gamble came to Talon's mind, he moved ahead of everyone, and stepped into the dark hallway. "Fine make your trade. I'm going to lunch, c'mon Quinn."

Talon walked down the hall. Within the rules of the game, alone, despite Quinn walking with him.

That hadn't gone unnoticed by the others.

Lux held onto Ezreal's hand, "He's trying to bait you away from me." she said.

"He is." Ezreal said trying to stifle a laugh.

Only Jayce, a long time friend of Ezreal's, noticed how awkward his laugh sounded. That made him suspicious. He finally noticed Lux was nibbling on her lip, and her hand was again holding onto Ezreal's. Hadn't he been holding Talon's card in that hand?

"Aw, shit," Jayce cursed suddenly, he turned to look down the hall, "Talon!"

...

Talon stopped in his tracks when he heard his name. He turned around to see if Ezreal took the bait and tried to follow after him. If he had, then that would allow Ekko and Jayce to trap Lux. A risky gambit, but all Talon would need to do is slip passed Ezreal once he showed. It was dark enough that it would be possible. But the blonde boy hadn't followed him.

"What the hell is Jayce doing?"

"Wow, didn't think he'd be the first to figure it out." Quinn said, arm slipping around Talon's waist.

While Talon didn't mind the forwardness, it was off putting coming from Quinn. He turned to her confused. "Figured what out?"

Quinn smiled, slipping out a card to show to Talon. He stared as he was able to make out the writing in the dark. "Figure out that Lux slipped me Ezreal's card while everyone else was arguing." Quinn said.

The slack jawed shock on Talon's face was everything she hoped it be. As much as she wanted this moment to last, she couldn't keep Ezreal waiting. Quinn forced Talon to walk back the way he came. Just in time too, Jayce was halfway into accusing Ezreal of having a hitman when she and Talon showed up.

Quinn handed Talon's card back over to Ezreal and crossed her arms, "This could've all been avoided if you gave me his card thirty mins ago."

"No, this could have been avoided, if someone-" Talon shot a glare at Ekko, "-would have traded their card over to me to begin with."

"We didn't know what Talon's plan was at the time." Lux said ignoring Talon entirely, "We needed Ezreal to keep his card just in case Talon was planning on calling his bluff. How were we supposed to know it was all a ploy to get me eliminated and not Ezreal."

Ekko smirked at the two blondes. "You two are craftier than I thought. But I still have your card though, so you better watch your back, cause I'm coming for you… C'mon Jayce, let's get lunch."

"To be honest, I thought this was only a plan on getting you to join our team." Jayce said to Ezreal before jogging to catch up to Ekko.

Ezreal watched the two boys go. Lux sighed, happy that she had dodged the bullet this time.

…

Lunch had come, the lights in the dining hall were fixed and the room was once again illuminated. Students came pouring in out of dark halls, eager to learn what special surprise the staff had prepared for them.

Caitlyn was waiting eager for someone else to show. She knew Vi wouldn't miss out on lunch, she liked eating too much to miss out on free food.

Lux and Ezreal came walking in with a sullen looking Talon and a smug looking Quinn right behind them. They gave Caitlyn a small hello before finding Jinx already sitting at the table waving them over. Ekko and Jayce slipped inside while she was distracted. Sejuani came inside, alone. Caitlyn asked where Ashe was and got a grumbled response.

"Still in her room, said she wasn't hungry." Sejuani said, hands inside her kimono to hide her balled fists of frustration.

"What are you talking about? I'm not going to miss lunch." Ashe said slipping in behind Sejuani.

Sejuani stuttered and did a double take, how had she gotten past her? Ashe ignored it and sat next to her boyfriend Tryndamere. The big lug who was unaware of the current competition between the two freljordians, waved Sejuani over to join them. The girl stomped over and practically fell into her seat next to Olaf.

Caitlyn looked over the dining hall. Ahri and her group were sitting down now. Tristana and Poppy were with Teemo and Rumble, who were arguing about scrabble or something. Caitlyn felt someone brush pass her legs, and noticed it was Lulu trying to catch up to her friends.

"Where is Vi?" Caitlyn muttered to herself.

"Right here Cupcake." Vi said surprising Caitlyn. She cupped her girlfriend's face and planted a kiss on her cheek.

Caitlyn smiled, then caught the order lingering around Vi. She pinched her nose, stopping herself from breathing anymore in. "Where have you been, Vi? You smell terrible."

"Hiding in a closet for four hours. Literally not figuratively. That figurative door got kicked down long ago."

Caitlyn rolled her eyes, then noticed Kayn and Varus walk into the hall. Kayn had his hair up in a bun, and even though she thought it was cute, it really didn't match his style. Tobias was really pushing this maid look onto Kayn. Varus looked around and then decided to sit close to Ahri and her group, that way he would still be close to Kayn. Caitlyn, noticing most of the seats were taken up now, lead Vi to one of the few spots open.

"I was worried, I couldn't find you during the blackout."

"Is just a blackout, babe, so what if a few lights got cut out, not like it's the end of the world." Vi brushed off any concerns Caitlyn had. She saw the annoyed pout Caitlyn was giving her and slipped her hand into Caitlyn's "I-uh. Of course if anything was actually wrong, I'd come running back to you, no hesitation. You got nothing to worry about."

"Better... but I'm still upset you didn't come find me as soon as the lights went out."

"Uh, right…" Vi's head dipped, she was gonna have to make it up to her later.

…

Veigar and Kennen were the last to arrive and immediately noticed various seating groups had formed based of who was teaming up with who. Xayah's group sat all the way on the opposite end from Arhi's group. A few of the players motioned Veigar and Kennen over, their eagerness easy to read. The two split up and so that each could go to a different group, precisely why Veigar had recruited Kennen.

Veigar sat down in a seat next to Lux, and looked at the players sitting nearby. Based on how Talon was sulking and Quinn wasn't feeding him, Veigar could guess that he was the one eliminated.

"Okay so with Talon gone, that leaves, twenty players still in the game."

Lux mentally counted those she saw in maid uniforms. Jinx, Kayn, Quinn, and now Talon. "You mean twenty one players left."

"I'm the ref, and I'm the one keeping track. It's twenty, less if Kennen is tallying another elimination."

"Then who else was eliminated?" Ezreal asked. "Telling us isn't against the rules, so you have to share if we ask."

Veigar looked up and down the table, even though the yordles and Tobias weren't within earshot it never hurt to be discrete. Veigar leaned into the table and the others followed suit. "Lulu was eliminated right after Kayn. Literally, one after the other."

"So she was eliminated by Tobias then." Lux guessed.

Veigar shrugged. The rules were vague about if he could share that much.

"Wait," Ezreal chimed in, "Players can't lie about being dead though, that's cheating if she's acting like a player."

Veigar shook his head, "Knowing how bull headed Poppy is, no offense to her, she never asked if Lulu was still in the game or not. If they don't ask, then Lulu doesn't have to tell them. And neither asked me or Kennen about her status."

Lux sagged in her seat. Friend to Poppy or not, she had to admit Poppy was known to just rush in without fully thinking things through, "That's spot on with what Poppy would assume."

"Anyways… who eliminated Talon?" Veigar had his notebook out, as Ezreal raised his hand he made a note about the murder, and made a separate note to get another maid uniform from the staff. "Talon is now your maid, and with him gone, mastery of Quinn is moved over to you."

"Yeah?" Ezreal sounded more excited than Lux liked, and she elbowed him in the ribs.

…

Kennen sat down near Vi and Caitlyn. Vi made sure not to have her maids nearby until they were outed as being hers, no need to play her hand too soon. Having eliminated players still have a role in the game definitely changed things. She would have to be more wary of eliminated players than she would normally be.

Vi leaned in close to Kennen, whispering to him so not even Caitlyn heard. "I got Tobias before lunch, I have his card and everything."

Kennen nodded, and made the notes like how Veigar wanted. The two needed to keep track on who owned who. "Okay now you are the master of Tobias, Kayn, and Lulu." Kennen looked over to see Kayn still waiting on Ahri's group, and even though Tobias was eliminated, he was still giving the occasional order. "I will have to tell Kayn and Lulu about Tobias' elimination."

"Lulu knows already, and tell Kayn after lunch, once I leave. I got plans." Vi glanced over at Lulu. The little yordle was doing her part and she was a much better liar than Vi would have thought. Poppy and Tristana were looking happy about the wins they had never actually got.

They were interrupted as the staff came out from the kitchen and started serving lunch. Large platters of sushi were decoratively laid out in tiers like a wedding cake. The students all look amazed at the displays. There was even a large decorative wooden boat filled with more sushi being carted into the room. Vi was drooling at it all, Caitlyn had to hand her a napkin so she wouldn't make a mess.

Braum stepped into the dining hall with the hotel manager right beside him. "We have special service today." He said gesturing to the wide assortment of food. There were large pots of hot miso soup and even tempura being moved inside along the sushi platters. "Since blackout cut majority of power, hotel kitchens need to serve this food while it is still fresh. Lucky for them, there is big class of hungry teenagers ready to help. Help yourselves to the food, and be courteous of fellow students."

As soon as the words 'help yourselves' left Braum's moustached lip, everyone started to dig in. Braum laughed at his charges eagerness. It was a buffet after all, how could they be blamed for their behavior? He grabbed a few rolls for himself and began to eat too. "Be sure to leave room for dessert, the hotel has ice cream that is melting and they would rather not throw it out."

…

Poppy was full. So full she felt like she couldn't move. Too much sushi in too short of a time. She groaned and sauntered out of the dining hall, flanked by an equally stuffed Tristana and an disgustingly chipper Lulu. The purple haired yordle ate more than Poppy and Tristana combined and still had her energetic attitude. The darn girl was still happily eating ice cream.

"I was a little upset before, but this triple chocolate, cherry raz ice cream is making me feel way better." Lulu practically skipped at each word.

Poppy groaned, and held her stomach. If it wasn't free and wasn't gonna go to waste she wouldn't have eaten so much. "Lulu I love you, but tone it down…"

Lulu paused in her place, she had to follow Vi's orders and figure out a way to separate Tristana and Poppy. She glanced around and saw Vi entering the baths for a much needed rinse, their eyes met in the dim light of the bath and she gave the yordle a wink. "Maybe we should soak in the bath, that'll calm your tummy."

Tristana nodded, also very sluggish and in no mood for Lulu's chipperness, "That does sound better than walking up three flights of stairs right after a buffet. Why do the girls rooms have to be so far away."

"We have to turn in Lulu's hits though." Poppy said. "Veigar is right down the hall and in the rec room."

Lulu patted Poppy on the back, "The game can wait, you are in more dire need of a nice relaxing bath."

"Fine, it can wait." Poppy agreed that a nice soak in the hotel's hot springs would make her feel infinitely better in the moment than claiming a win over Caitlyn and Jayce. She's still amazed that Lulu was able to get the drop on both of them. That just goes to show that you should never underestimate Lulu. She was a whole lot craftier than everyone gave her credit for.

"Yay!" Lulu looped an arm around Poppy's and started to skip to the baths. Poppy struggled to keep up, only managing because Lulu half dragged her. Tristana didn't even try to keep up, she just kept her lazy pace and walked to the baths at her own speed.

Lulu slipped past the door, and the door nearly clipped Poppy's pigtails. Tristana rolled her eyes at Lulu's antics and walked up to the double doors. Through the fogged glass doors, Tristana noticed someone coming out, she stepped aside as the door swung back open. Stepping out was Vi, the pink haired girl looked down to spot Tristana standing before her. She smiled, a little too smuggly in Tristana's opinion. "Sup shortstack." She said.

Tristanna didn't like the nickname, and tried to get around Vi, but the big girl was still standing at the bath's entrance. "Um, excuse me, you're kinda in the way."

"Sorry," Vi didn't sound that sorry, as she glanced up and down the hall. "Just wanted to ask you something."

Tristana's brows furrowed and also looked up and down the hall. She noticed that she was all alone in the hall with Vi, and took a few steps back.

Vi was quick to follow after her, not allowing her to escape, "You still got that card of yours right?"

The color drained from Tristana's face, but she still kept her cool, if she was asking about a hitman she could still maybe bluff her way out of this. She reached into her kimono and show the back of the blank playing card she kept. "Of course I do-"

Vi snatched it out of her hands and flipped it around. "This is a blank." Vi said, knowingly. "Thought you can outsmart a master player did you?"

Tristana's voice caught, "How did you know?"

"I ain't tellin' you my secrets."

Vi heard the door swing open and she quickly stepped aside. Poppy poked her head back through and saw Tristana standing there dumbstruck. "What's the hold-" Vi pulled the door closed, forcing Poppy to step over the threshold and out into the hall, "-up, ow what the hell?"

She looked up to see Vi standing over them. Vi looked like a cat that just caught the canary, her smile looked practically predatory to her. Two things quickly fell into place in Poppy's mind, Tristana just got murdered and she was next. She tried to push the door to the safe zone open again, but Vi had more leverage than her out of sheer size and kept it closed. Vi loomed over her and she asked the same question she asked Tristana. "That card of yours better not be blank like Trist's, that's technically cheating you know."

Poppy knew she got caught, but still showed the card hoping maybe Vi would show mercy and let her go. Vi snatched the card out of her hand. She flipped it around and saw that it too was blank. She smiled. "Man, three eliminations within two hours, I'm on a roll."

The door swing open and Lulu stepped outside this time. Vi pat her on the head, "Good work my little maid."

Poppy was visibly upset as she looked from Vi down to Lulu, "You got eliminated and you didn't tell us?"

Lulu fiddled with her thumbs, "You never asked…"

Tristana slapped her forehead. "Shoot, we never did. She was always off alone with Veigar… we should have known…"

Vi scooped them up in her arms. "Now my little maids, for my first order I would like spa quality treatment for me and my lovely Cupcake while we bath. I hid in a musty ass closet for four hours and I need a reward for my efforts."

Poppy pushed Vi off her, "Wait are we your maids? We weren't your intended targets."

"Ah we'll clear that up later." Vi said, scooping the wayward yordle back in her arms and ushering them into the baths. "I promised Caitlyn spa quality treatment to make up for ditching her all morning and that's what she's gonna get."

…

Akali was intently aware of the stare on her back. She stood still facing off against Shen and Zed in a game of ninja. Jhin was off to the side, once again watching and sketching. But it wasn't his stare that Akali was sensing. She could see the reflection of Sejuani and Ashe sitting on the couch behind her on the wall mounted tv. Ashe was sitting in her boyfriend's arms while she read her book and Sejuani stared at Akali like she wanted to throw her out the window. Akali knew why too. Out of everyone where, only the three of them were players in the game of murder.

It was no secret that Sejuani had Ashe's card, she was far from discrete. Ashe knew as much as everyone else, and stuck to other players or her safe zone all the while Sejuani trailed after her. Denying Sejuani from ever making the final move.

Akali was too distracted with one game that she lost track of the other. Zed slapped her hand and she pulled back to rub the pain away. Shen didn't hesitate and moved to slap Zed's hand. Akali had to step away from the two or else she'd get tangled in their frantic movements. They moved in a blur that almost looked like a dance. Akali was quite impressed by it, she watched carefully, noting that some poses they struck were actual stances carried over from their respective dojos. Akali fell onto the couch next to Ashe and Sejuani narrowed her eyes at her.

"You're good at that." Ashe said, eyes never leaving the page.

"Thanks, I trained in the same martial art as Shen since we were kids. His dad runs the dojo we attend. He's much better than I am." Akali said

Tryndamere was watching the two still going at it. "Can I join next game?" He asked. Zed gave the tiniest of nods to Tryndamere's excitement.

Ashe gave Sejuani the side eye, "I'll be rooting for you Tryn."

Sejuani pursed her lips, hearing the underlying tone of ' _I'm staying here to spite you Sejuani'_ in Ashe's voice.

"I'll play next game too, Shen and Zed aren't very nice to new players." Akali also gave Sejuani the side eye.

"Fine enjoy your stupid game." Sejuani mutter as she stood up. "I'm gonna find Olaf."

Sejuani stormed out of the room. Ashe watched her leave and stretched her legs out onto the vacant spot she left. "I thought she'd never leave me alone."

"You're going to owe me later for that." Akali said quietly.

Ashe paused in her reading, looking up to Akali behind her book. "Why? You helped me on your own." She flipped to a new page to break their eye contact. "If you're trying to manipulate me, you're assuming a lot."

"All I'm asking for is a little bit of repayment down the line."

"I'll think about it." Ashe flipped to another page. She really did like to play up her reading. "Don't you have a game to play?"

Akali glanced back in time to watch Zed strike Shen's hand a lot harder than necessary. Shen rubbed his hand and repositioned himself to start again. Tryndamere had been too engrossed in the game to overhear the girl's hushed conversation, he turned to Akali who returned a nod. They can play now. She rose to her feet and Tryndamere followed. She pointed to a spot next to Zed which the boy took eagerly.

"Whole point of the game is to strike your opponent's hand." Akalli continued to explain the rules the rules to Tryndamere. In the back of her mind she knew he won't last long against Zed or Shen.

…

Ahri's plan wouldn't come into play until later tonight when lights out had occurred and the majority of the students and staff would be asleep. It would be prime time for misbehaving students to sneak off to another classmate's room. That left the remaining time between now and then free for Syndra to use. She decided that memorizing the layout of the rooms would help. Xayah and Rakan would try to use the quickest path to get to one another's room. If she knew the most likely path they would take, then ambushing them at night would be far easier. Syndra counted the doors between Xayah's room and the stairs. Syndra noticed a curious coincidence while counting.

Three doors down, from the stairs, was her own room. Right in the path of Xayah's room. Heading inside, Syndra propped her door open so it was barely ajar and leaned against the adjacent wall. Through the sliver she could make out the silhouette of the door frame leading to the stairs. It was just light enough that she even caught the door swing open and someone coming out.

Taliyah was being extra careful. She poked her head out of the doorway and and stared down the length of the hall. No one was around as far as she could see. Carefully she tiptoed out of doorway and silently made her way over to her room.

Syndra watched her from her hidden spot. Luckily for Taliyah, she wasn't Syndra's intended target. She let the girl waltz through the hall as if she hadn't been seen and pushed her door closed. When she thought about it, she hadn't seen Taliyah all that much during the game. The girl was a passive player it seemed, hiding and slinking from one safe zone to the next. She'd most likely keep herself isolated through the majority of the game. Syndra took a mental note to remember which room was Taliyah's, just in case she would need to know later.

A third party peeked out from their room and noticed the hall was empty. Janna stepped out into the hall and walked down towards the stairway. She back pedaled as soon as she heard someone coming up from the stairs, and pressed herself against the wall. Sejuani came storming out of the stairway with Olaf in tow. She stomped off to her own room, uncaring if she was heard or seen, all the while quietly venting to Olaf how annoying Ashe was. Janna let out a silent breath and slipped through the door before it closed.

The hall remained silent this time.

* * *

 **Players Status**

Lux - Alive

Jinx - Dead (Eliminated by Lux) - Maid to Lux

Janna - Alive

Poppy - Dead (Eliminated by Vi) - Maid to Vi

Lulu - Dead (Eliminated by Tobias) - Maid to Vi

Ahri - Alive

Sarah Fortune - Alive

Syndra - Alive

Soraka - Alive

Ezreal - Alive

Jayce - Alive

Ekko - Alive

Vi - Alive

Caitlyn - Alive

Quinn - Dead (Eliminated by Talon) - Maid to Ezreal

Talon - Dead (Eliminated by Quinn) - Maid to Ezreal

Ashe - Alive

Sejuani - Alive

Taliyah - Alive

Akali - Alive

Tristana - Dead (Eliminated by Vi) - Maid to Vi

Rakan - Alive

Xayah - Alive

Tobias Fate - Dead (Eliminated by Vi) - Maid to Vi

Kayn - Dead (Eliminated by Tobias) - Maid to Vi


	7. Drawing Battlelines

**[Day 2 of Murder - Day 4 of School Trip - Evening]**

Dinner had arrived with a slew of new maids. Talon pulled at the skirt of his maid uniform as he stood alongside Tobias, Lulu, Poppy, and Tristana all wearing matching uniforms. Turned out the staff did in fact have yordle sized uniforms and due to their smaller size, the skirts flared out and look much puffier than usual. Talon sat near his master Ezreal while Tobias tried not to yell at Kayn as the jerk laughed at the turn of fortunes. The two of them sat near Ahri's group but ignored any orders coming from them. Vi had given her own orders for them to follow. They were to not reveal who their master was and ignore any prodding coming from anyone else. Same thing went for the yordle trio who sat next to Rumble and Teemo, who tried not to stare. Tristana felt her face burn as she caught Teemo and Rumble looking at her anyways. Poppy was trying to keep her cool as well when she noticed the boys' lingering her way. Lulu could care less, she had been worried at first but found the outfit to be much cuter than she thought and enjoyed how it looked on her. Plus the blush she saw on Veigar's face when he saw her made up for any embarrassment that might come. The two players who had Poppy and Tristana as targets were confused by their sudden change.

The staff was continuing to serve food that wouldn't last much longer without proper refrigeration. After the massive lunch buffet, they had reeled back on how much food was being served in a single meal . The servers placed a small plate of teriyaki, a bowl of rice, and some leftover miso soup at each seat. Veigar and Kennen tried to pass out notes again to players without getting in the way of the staff. They got a few confused glances from people outside of the game but ignored them.

Lux heard someone clear their throat behind her and turned around to find Veigar holding a note. She opened the note and read it, interested to find that there was another scheduled meeting. Someone had a question about the rules and Veigar was going to clear it up. Lux looked over to Jinx who shrugged in response.

"How the hell should I know?" Jinx said. She used the ends of her chopsticks to stab into a piece of chicken. "Just cause I played before doesn't mean I know everything."

"It probably has to do about this." Ezreal said, revealing to the group that his new target was Poppy, and yet she was already dressed as a maid. Someone had somehow eliminated her before he did.

"Ah" Jinx said understanding now, "Poppy got caught with a hitman. That's why she's out."

"If that true, then wouldn't that make me her master?" Ezreal said glancing over to Poppy. "The meeting is probably to talk about how maids are passed around, or to complain about being a maid."

"Wonder why anyone would complain about that." Talon said, stabbing his own food. "Who wouldn't love being a maid to a weeb."

"For that sass, I demand your serving of chicken." Ezreal, pointed to Talon's plate and made a hand it over gesture. Talon stopped mid bite and dropped his chopsticks. They landed on his plate and he shoved it over to Ezreal who took it happily. The moody teen grumbled and ate his rice and miso soup. At least the soup had bits of fish so it wasn't completely bland.

Jinx was reminded once again why she was glad Lux was the one who eliminated her.

…

The rec room filled up quickly as all the players found their seats. Veigar was standing atop of the coffee table again, notebook in hand and eyes bouncing from player to player making sure no one has been left behind. Once everyone was situated he began.

"We got a handful of eliminations to announce, and it is only the second day." Veigar started. "From now on, if any eliminations happened I'll announce them at the end of the day, right after dinner. This is to keep everyone up to date with everyone else's status in the game, and shuffle cards around if we have to. Also it's to clear up a rule someone brought up while turning in an elimination. First things first thought" Veigar nodded to Kennen.

Kennen flipped through his own notebook, "Tobias was eliminated right before lunch by Vi, and Talon was eliminated by Ezreal via hitman, also right before lunch."

Poppy and Tristana stood up, joining Veigar and Kennen. It was Poppy's idea to clear this up, because there was no way she wanted to stay being Vi's maid.

"Tristana and Poppy were eliminated by being caught without their target card by Vi, right after Lunch. Who ever had them as their targets raise your hand, so they can give you their respective cards."

Ezreal was hesitant at first but ended up raising his hand. "I had Poppy as my target."

Poppy walked over to him and handed over his new target card. Akali raised her hand right afterwards, signalling for Tristana to hand over hers.

"Does this mean Tristana is my maid?" Akali asked, glancing down at who her new target is. She smirked, well this is going to be easy.

"That's what we need to clear up." Veigar said, he looked over to Ahri, who started this whole maid mess, "We have to all agree, should the player who did the elimination be the master, even if the elimination comes from being caught without their card?"

"That makes sense to me." Ekko said. "Why should someone else reap the benefits if you were the superior player?"

"Ekko, right." Jayce said, "Even if they weren't your target, you still caught them fair and square."

"No that doesn't make sense. Cause now the player has way more maids than everyone else. They'll be more likely to win out of sheer numbers." Xayah said, Rakan agreeing with his girlfriend. The rebellious girl shot Vi a challenging look. Her threat level was quickly rising according to Xayah.

"Then let's change the rule that hits can't be pulled off by maids." Talon said, hoping that he could revert his status back to being alive.

"Why do we even need the maid rule?" Lux asked, but was mostly ignored by the rest of the players.

"It's more fun when there's stakes at play." Ahri answered Lux's question. She cleared her throat to gain everyone's attention. "Here's what we'll do. Xayah has a point that the player with the most maids will have an easier time winning which is unfair, and we're not gonna mess with the Hitman rules that are already in place. Talon you're stuck as a maid. We'll make a simple yet effective change that will benefit everyone still in the game."

Everyone became quiet as Ahri paused for dramatic effect.

"Maids are no longer personal. Everyone can order a maid around as if they were their master."

"No... " Kayn whined. He could already feel the eyes landing on his back. Tobias too felt a shiver run up his spine, already knowing he'll be forced along to do Sarah and Soraka's bidding. Tobias' luck had run dry and karma had come to collect.

"Awww but that's not fair…" Vi also whined. She was strapped for five maids, and now she had to share them? Lame.

"If you want sole ownership… than you better win." Ahri said with a wink. "To prevent people fighting over which maid has to do which order. We'll have three simple rules. One, no order may last longer than an hour. Two, no master may take away power from other masters. And three, no master can override previous orders or orders already in effect. So no ordering something like 'Don't listen to Vi's orders' or 'Don't pull off that hit you were ordered to do'. Stuff like that."

"I guess that's fine." Xayah crossed her arms. So long as Vi didn't end up with the numbers advantage, she was okay with sharing her maids.

Veigar closed his notebook, "Then let the game resume." He hopped off the table and headed out of the room. Lulu followed right after him, arm wrapping around his as soon as she caught up.

A few others lingered but they too decided to leave the room. While having all the players in the same room meant safety, it also meant safety for your intended target. If the game was to move on, they would need to move on too. Lux left with Ezreal, and Jinx was about to follow them out when someone stopped her.

Vi smirked at the shorter girl, "Hold your horses. I got something for you to do and only you can do it."

Jinx gulped, she already missed being only Lux's maid.

…

"I hate this." Tobias said as he stood next to Kayn.

"Now you know how I felt." Kayn said. He lowered the grape bundle so Ahri could pluck one with her teeth.

"No complaining. Not my fault no one else snatched you up while they could." Ahri said as she chewed the grape.

Sarah clapped her hands, and Tobias walked over to her and lower a glass with a straw to her lips. Sarah leaned against the chair's arm and took a tentative sip. Tobias dabbed her lip with a napkin as she pushed the straw away. "They already knew we had our eyes set on these two. It's only respectful to allow us to keep them."

"Then why am I here?" Talon said through grit teeth. He was holding a magazine for Ahri to read. She snapped her fingers and he flipped to the next page. "I wasn't yours to begin with."

"Because the only person who would want to call dibs on you is also a maid." Ahri said, "Since she can't give orders, we get to have fun in her place."

"Where is Quinn?" Soraka asked. She waved for Kayn to bring the grapes over to her. His gaze fell as he walked over to Soraka. Ahri was corrupting the poor girl.

"I think she's with Sejuani last I saw…" Varus said, hands full of Soraka's hair. An intricate braid beginning to take shape. He waved for Kayn to bring him some grapes as his hands were full.

Kayn almost brought them over but then stopped in his tracks. "Wait, you're not part of the game!"

…

Quinn laid on her stomach and watched Ashe through a compact mirror. Just around the doorframe, Ashe was talking to Tryndamere at the dining table. Sejuani was right, Ashe was sticking to safe zones and other players. Only a few seats over was Xayah, Rakan, and Janna. The trio were whispering to one another. After a moment Janna pushed up out of her seat, and strided over to Ashe. Quinn tried to read their lips, but couldn't parse out any details.

"What're they doing now?" Sejuani said laying next to Quinn.

"Janna is talking to Ashe now."

"About?"

"I don't know, I can't read their lips through the small mirror."

Sejuani ran a frustrated hand through her hair. This was going as well as it had when she was tailing Ashe on her own. "I knew I shoulda grabbed Talon instead."

"Hey," Quinn pushed herself up so she could round on Sejuani, "Anything that jerk can do I can do better!"

"Fine fine, I don't care, just what is Ashe doing now?" Sejuani asked again.

Quinn huffed and laid back down. She eased the mirror around the corner and saw that the dining hall was empty. She angled the mirror around to try and spot her quarry, but no matter where she looked no one was there. No one not even Tryndamere who would have gladly stayed and ate any leftovers the staff had yet to clean up. "Huh, they're gone."

Sejuani pushed herself forward and grabbed Quinn's hand. She angled the mirror around herself and saw that Quinn was telling the truth. Sejuani was at a loss for words, she couldn't let Ashe escape again. She sprung to her feet and rounded the doorframe. Her eyes roamed the dinning hall and landed on a single staff member stacking plates onto a cart. Sejuani walked over and tilted her head in a polite bow. "Um, excuse me, I was wondering if you saw my friend. She was just here."

"Sorry miss," The staff shook her head, "I just started cleaning, I haven't seen anyone in here when I arrived."

"Okay, thank you." Sejuani bowed and walked out of the hall. Quinn was waiting outside, thinking maybe she could spot them leaving from a different doorway. They were long gone however.

"New plan," Sejuani said, "Janna, she was with Xayah and Rakan, that means those three are possibly teamed up and are recruiting Ashe. Which means I need to join a team of my own."

"Who should you team up with then?" Quinn ticked off names on her fingers. "Ahri, Sarah, Soraka and Syndra are a strong team. There's also Jayce and Ekko. Ekko is a veteran player and knows how to strategize. Lux and Ezreal are also better than I thought they be, they helped me get back at Talon. Everyone else I think is running solo."

"Ahri and Ekko's groups are out, I don't trust them. Gathering the solo players would be too difficult. Lux and Ezreal, however, are perfect. They're the underdogs. Everyone will underestimate them. Hell, they already eliminated two other players because of that. I need to get in league with them." Sejuani slapped a hand on Quinn's shoulder, almost toppling the smaller girl over. "We go find the blonde duo and with their help take down Ashe."

…

"Isn't this a little cruel, Vi?" Caitlyn said. Though her words sounded like they held concern, the satisfied groan she let out told Jinx otherwise. Caitlyn sighed happily and melted into Vi's arms. The bigger girl rested her chin atop Caitlyn's head. She looked down to see Jinx forcing a smile as she continued to massage Caitlyn's feet.

"She lost fair and square. She knew what the stakes were, and I for one thought Lux was letting her off too easy." Vi said. "Jinx once you're done with Caitlyn, you're gonna do mine."

Jinx growled through the smile, she learned real quick that any back talk led to punishment. "Of course, I'd love to."

…

Ashe settled down onto her futon alone, sending Tryndamere off to do his own thing. It looked like they were able to ditch Sejuani and Quinn at the dining hall and wasn't followed. She smoothed out the wrinkles in her kimono and waited. Ashe knew about the subtle power of being comfortable in silence and having others wait for you. When used properly she was in control of any situation she was in. It was how she was able to drag Sejuani along where she wanted, and never be forced to move at another person's pace.

Janna and Xayah wanted to team up with her, and she agreed to her them out. She insisted they should talk in her safe zone and no one else's. Ashe sat in quiet contemplation as she watched Janna and Xayah try to match her patience. They would fail, Xayah had Rakan as a boyfriend and that boy require constant attention, and Janna, while very reserved, always caved to action and not reaction. Ashe gave them five minutes, tops, before they started to talk.

As if on cue, Xayah leaned forward and cleared her throat. "I know what you're trying to do and it won't work."

Ashe raised a single eyebrow at Xayah. As if that was all she needed to say.

"Yeah I know. You're trying to act all cool and in control, but you aren't." Xayah nodded to Janna, "She wanted you on our team but if you're gonna act like you're in charge we have others options."

"Taliyah's off hiding without a plan of action, Akali won't step anywhere near Janna cause she thinks she has her card, Caitlyn can't lie worth a damn, Vi will backstab you when you least expect it, Sejuani thinks she can brute force anything, and the rest all have established teams already. I'm the only logical choice." Ashe said as she crossed her arms at Xayah. "You need me or else Ahri's group will steam roll all over you."

Rakan let out an impressed whistle. "Damn she's good."

"She's observant." Janna said, "She stayed at the edge of the group meetings, and has been mostly watching how the others been playing the game."

"Doesn't hurt that there's rumors about the game flying around, and anyone with half a mind to pay attention can figure out what each player's been up to based on them. Tryndamere has been great at keeping up with the gossip. Also everyone is pretty easy to read if you have the eye for it." Ashe shrugged. She attributed her sharp observation skill on the fact she was the captain of the archery team.

"But you are wrong about one thing." Janna narrowed her eyes at Ashe, "You need us more than we need you. You won't be able to stand alone for long, sooner or later you'll be the only solo player left, and then what will you do?"

Ashe smiled, matching the intensity of Janna's stare. "I have a plan in mind don't you worry about that."

"Bullshit," Xayah wanted to call Ashe's bluff, but that smug know it all look on the pale girls face looked so confident.

Ashe leaned back letting her elbows prop herself up, "Believe what you want. You won't beat Ahri without my help."

Xayah scoffed, she had just enough with Ashe's arrogance. No wonder Sejuani couldn't stand her half the time. She got up off the ground and was stopped by Janna.

"Okay we'll admit we do need you more than you need us. What will it take for you to join our team?" Janna asked.

Xayah looked to Janna then to Rakan, as if telling him telepathically that she cannot believe she's being undermined like this. This whole team was originally her idea.

"First move would be to establish trust. I asked you here in my safe zone because I didn't know who each of your targets are, one of you could have my card for all I know. Show me your cards." Ashe said with a tone that made it sound less like a request and more like a demand.

Janna glanced back up to Xayah and then down to Rakan, she already knew their targets, they weren't shy about sharing that information. Janna let Xayah go and let her retake her seat. All together they reached for their cards. "I have Vi."

"I got Ahri" Xayah said

"Soraka." Rakan said last.

"All of whom would be too much of a hassle to eliminate, unless…" Ashe paused, knowing that she was going to suggest something that would possibly break the deal for Xayah. The girl was a rebel at heart who rarely took being ordered around lightly "You all do as I say. With my help I'll be able to lead you to victory."

Xayah pursed her lips, she didn't like the idea of giving up control. Still she rather have her as an ally than an enemy. She nodded her head, and Rakan followed suit. Janna nodded when she saw Xayah wasn't going to push the issue.

"Okay we'll talk strategy now." Ashe said. "Do you know who has your cards?"

…

Akali still felt like she had to play defensive. Even though she had helped Ashe earlier today, there was no reassurance that she will return the favor when asked. All around her battle lines have been drawn between the players and only now had she realized that she was one of the few still trying to play solo. Her target, while easier to handle than Tristana, was teamed up with Ekko, and that boy was no slouch in the game. He knew to watch his corners and keep his ally close. She hadn't found an opening to even talk to Jayce because of how careful Ekko was.

She snuck through the dark halls, tracking her prey down to one of the unlit and unused rec rooms. They were being smart and not staying anywhere near the populated portions of the hotel. They must have a few of their own rooms they would consider safe just because no one would come this way. Akali stepped lightly up to the door and noticed that it was left ajar. Carefully she pressed her ear to the slim opening.

"Now that Lux knows I have her card, first thing I need to do is ditch it as soon as I can." Ekko said, pacing the room.

"You don't have to, we just got to figure out another way to get Lux alone." Jayce said, he leaned against the backrest of a sofa. "Our first plan almost worked, so it shouldn't be hard to come up with a second."

Ekko waved the thought away. "No you don't get it. Having your target know you're after them is the worst outcome, they will be on the lookout for anything you do. You'll never find an opening, or worse they might play that against you. That's why Vi always looks for who has her card before going on the hunt herself. We have to ditch the card, trade it with someone, anyone, willing for a trade."

An idea struck Akali, if she followed Ekko and tracked down who he traded with, she could share that information with Lux, using the knowledge to outplay Ekko and get to Jayce. Maybe even form an alliance with Lux in the process. Two birds with one stone. She noticed that Jayce was walking towards the door and she pressed herself tightly against the floor just out of the way. Jayce pushed the door open and peered into the dark hall. He glanced back and waved for Ekko to follow.

"We'll figure out who to trade with tomorrow, it's getting late and Ryze is going on night patrol this time." Jayce yawned and stretched.

"Right, don't want to risk running into baldy at night, meet back here after breakfast." Ekko whispered back.

As soon as they left Akali pushed off the floor and crept her way back to her room.

…

It was closing in on that window of opportunity, the slim crack between door and frame left the hallway in view for Syndra. The students that hadn't taken advantage of the baths during the day were now heading out for a nightly rinse before bed. Syndra waited by her door watching them go, paying attention who was leaving and who were staying. On cue Syndra leaned in as she notice Xayah walking down the hall with Rakan. They were playing it safe by going to the baths together. All according to plan, Syndra would wait for Xayah's return and ambush her then. Rakan wouldn't be able to go back to Xayah's room after curfew, Ryze simply wouldn't allow it, leaving Xayah alone in the hall. And even if Syndra missed Xayah's return she knew the punk rock girl would try to sneak out and go to Rakan's room at night. Janna and Ashe followed soon after the couple, Syndra cursed as her eyes met with Ashe's careful gaze. She eased her door closed trying to hide in her room. How did she know Syndra would be spying on the hallway?

That was distressing. If another player knew about their plans than they had to call off the hit tonight. No point in risky her own safety. She had to tell Ahri and Sarah about this. Syndra waited until she knew the hall would be empty. Creeping out of her own room, she moved to the stairwell, heading down to the boys floor.

On the boys floor Syndra saw Tobias, Kayn and Talon loitering around the hall. All three were waiting outside Kayn's room talking to one another. As much as Ahri wanted to string the boys along with increasingly more humiliating orders, she knew she couldn't keep them all night. She had let them loose when it came time to set her plan in motion.

Kayn pulled the pencil from his bun and let the braid fall out of place. He ran a hand through his hair undoing all of Varus' hard work.

"Your hair is getting pretty long now." Tobias said, running a hand through his own long locks. His wasn't as long as Kayn's, and more than once Malcolm compared it to a mullet much to his chagrin.

Talon watched as Kayn continued to undo the braids adorning his head. "Hmm, you think I look good with long hair? I was thinking of growing it."

"I don't think Quinn would like it." Kayn said with a shrug, hand coming loose as it tugged on the last bit of braid.

"I'm not asking if Quinn would like it, I'm asking if I'd look good with it." Talon insisted.

"Which is the same as asking if Quinn would like it." Tobias said. He smirked as he noticed the growing blush on Talon's face.

Syndra ignored their gossip, she strode up to them and waved. "Help me find Sarah."

The trio sighed and got to work. Here they thought they were done today.

…

"Syndra was watching you. Like I thought she would." Ashe said as she entered the hot springs.

Xayah nodded, "Guess Rakan and I can't go sneaking off together anymore…"

"You weren't very subtle to be completely honest." Ashe said. "After we're done here, we'll continue to move in a group and make sure everyone gets to their room."

"Then tomorrow morning, we plan our counter attack." Janna said, to which Ashe nodded.

* * *

 **Players Status**

Lux - Alive

Jinx - Dead (Eliminated by Lux)

Janna - Alive

Poppy - Dead (Eliminated by Vi)

Lulu - Dead (Eliminated by Tobias)

Ahri - Alive

Sarah Fortune - Alive

Syndra - Alive

Soraka - Alive

Ezreal - Alive

Jayce - Alive

Ekko - Alive

Vi - Alive

Caitlyn - Alive

Quinn - Dead (Eliminated by Talon)

Talon - Dead (Eliminated by Quinn)

Ashe - Alive

Sejuani - Alive

Taliyah - Alive

Akali - Alive

Tristana - Dead (Eliminated by Vi)

Rakan - Alive

Xayah - Alive

Tobias Fate - Dead (Eliminated by Vi)

Kayn - Dead (Eliminated by Tobias)


	8. Alliances

**[Day 3 of Murder - Day 5 of School Trip - Morning]**

Lux sat in her usual spot next to Ezreal just as the servers laid out the food for today's breakfast. She looked around and couldn't spot her usual meal companions. Today Jinx was being strung along by Arhi it seemed. She prayed Arhi was smart enough to not push Jinx's buttons. Talon was off alone this morning, thinking himself as lucky for one moment of peace. Kayn and Tobias looked like they were also given a break from the girls for the time being. The yordle girls were with Xayah and Rakan. The only regular was Quinn. The girl sat down across from Lux and made sure to keep a seat open.

Ezreal was quick to notice how Quinn was shooing anyone else away from sitting at their table. He peered around his classmates to try and catch who it was. His eyes caught Sejauni's as she finally saw where the two blonds were. The tall girl headed over, quickly stepping around a server. As she came upon the seat, Akali slid in at the last second.

Lux was watching Sejuani clumsily walk over and was surprise by Akali's sudden appearance.

Sejuani wasn't having that, she had Quinn reserve her a spot for a reason. Her hand landed on Akali's shoulder. "That's my spot."

Akali shrugged the hand off and sent a glare up at her. "I just need a second I need to talk to Lux real quick."

"Yeah? Me too, and I was here first." She jabed her finger down for emphasis.

"No you weren't." Akali said turning away from Lux to look at Sejuani head on.

Lux cleared her throat. "Can we not start this early in the morning."

"Here." Ezreal cut in. He turned to Quinn and got her attention with a hand wave. "Let Sejuani take your spot. And also, I want you to go poke Talon a hundred times, during breakfast."

Quinn snorted, but took the order anyway. It was bound to be more entertaining, and it also got her away from the Freljordian. Following Sejuani's orders last night told her all that she needed about the girl, simply that she had no tact. She scooted back in her seat, turning it to offer it to Sejauni. Sejuani took it begrudgingly, not breaking eye contact with Akali. Once seated Lux gestured for Sejuani to go ahead, after all Quinn had been saving the spot for her. In essence, she was here first.

Sejuani glanced over to Akali one last time. She didn't know if sharing her plan with someone out of her prospective alliance was a smart move. Deciding it wouldn't matter she went ahead, "I want to team up with you two."

Akali did a double take at her words. Sejuani took her words right out from her own head. The Ionian girl didn't say anything and instead watched how the two blondes reacted. Ezreal was clearly surprised, but looked to Lux for what to do. Lux on the other hand was more thoughtful. The blonde looked over to the rest of the dinning hall. Each group in the game was huddled together whispering to one another. Their own plans underway.

"Why should we team up?" Lux finally asked.

"Cause we need to." Sejuani said matter of factly. "Ashe, Janna, and Xayah are teaming up and so is everyone else. We need a team or else we'll be outnumbered."

"So you're desperate." Ezreal said with a bit of a smirk.

Lux elbowed him when she noticed the look Sejuani was giving him. "Everyone's teams are getting bigger, I think it's a good idea." Lux said.

Ezreal pulled her in close and whispered into her ear. "How can we trust her though?"

"She has Ashe's card, so we know she isn't after us." Lux whispered back.

"If you're gonna team up with Sejuani, I want in too." Akali broke apart the two's whispering. All eyes shifted to her, "And I got some useful info for you, only if you accept that is."

Lux felt like the card in her pocket was burning as she bit her lip at Akali's offer.

"Knowing who has your card is crucial to this game, and I got something that you'd want to hear in particular Lux." Akali continued.

Ezreal pushed ahead of Lux, "We know who has her card."

"You don't know who they're trading it to though." Akali smirked as Lux and Ezreal leaned back into their seats. They hadn't thought of that possibility. If Ekko ditched Lux's card without them knowing she'd be vulnerable to elimination. Akali pressed on. "I can figure out who Ekko's going to trade with, but I'll only say if you accept my offer of teaming up."

"Mine too." Sejuani said, her almost plead for a team up is now looking very weak compared to Akali. "I mean, you'll accept my team up too, right?"

"We need to think about this… I-" Lux trailed off.

"Now or never, I gotta know before breakfast is over." Akali pushed. She glanced over to Ekko, where the boy was talking to Ashe's group. If she misses the trade Ekko was planning, then she'd have nothing to actually trade.

"Yes." Ezreal said. "Yes, alright, we'll team up with both of you."

Lux wanted to protest, but knew she trusted in Ezreal hasty agreement. She'd flip flop on half her decisions if it weren't for him. If she did that then Akali would walk away and take that valuable information with her.

Akali nodded and slipped out of her seat, she had to get to the rec room before Ekko did. They hadn't even noticed she had eaten the food laid out in front of her. Lux's own food had gotten cold and was almost untouched. Sejuani felt relief as they accepted her into their group, unlike Akali, she decided to stick with them for a while longer. Maybe talk strategy.

Slowly as breakfast came to an end, all the different groups spread out through the hotel.

…

Taliyah's phone screen was dim in the dark room. She's been swapping hiding spots day after day, making sure her phone was properly charged before holding herself inside a cabinet, closet, meeting room. Today's spot was one of the unlit rec rooms, this one had a set of closets used to store some board games, cushions for sitting, and other junk. There was just enough room for Taliyah to squeeze into, and close enough to a outlet just in case she needed to recharge her phone. While she got no reception and the free wifi the hotel provided was spotty at best, she did have plenty of mindless games to play that didn't require a constant internet connection.

She was so engrossed with her game that she missed the click of the rec room door swing open and close. What she didn't miss was the door of the closet slide open. Her face, lit by her phone's screen, went wide with surprise. She looked up at who it was that ambushed her and saw Akali staring back just as surprised.

Anything Taliyah wanted to say got caught in her throat. She sputtered a jumble of vowels, but Akali ignored it, glancing back to the door and quickly held a hand over her mouth.

"Shut up." Akali said as she stepped into the closet with Taliyah. There was just enough room for both of them. Akali was pressed tight against Taliyah and the younger girl could feel her breath on her face. "Don't say anything and turn off your phone."

Taliyah didn't want to argue, and nodded. She tucked her phone back into her kimono. Only after she did that did Akali lowered her hand from her mouth. "Wh-" The girl clamped her mouth shut refusing to finish her question. She didn't need to see in the dark to know that Akali was glaring at her. Knowing she wasn't going to get an answer Taliyah waited in the dark.

…

Veigar was going to facilitate a trade. Ekko practically pulled him along after finding him idly chatting with Kennen. Ekko along with Jayce, Ashe, and Janna headed down the hallway that lead back to the rec room, then took a sharp turn down a darker hallway. Veigar shot a look to Ekko that was lost in the darkness. He had to wonder why they were trying to be so secretive. They knew he would be open to discuss who traded with who to other players. This trade wouldn't stay secret for long. In the back of his mind, the strategic gamer part, told him that they'd pull off an ambush right afterwards.

They discussed the ins and outs of this trade during breakfast.

Ekko stopped at an unlit rec room, he looked around the hall making sure no one else was following them. He ushered the group inside, Veigar being the last to enter. Veigar drew out his notebook and phone. His phone's light illuminated the notebook and he turned to a dog eared page with everyone's names.

"Okay" Veigar eyes went from member to member, "Who's trading with who?"

Janna and Ekko raised up their cards.

"I have Lux" Ekko said.

"Vi" Janna said right after.

Veigar nodded then looked to Jayce and Ashe, the two shook their heads, they only came along to keep an eye on their teammates. Taking note about the trade, Veigar nodded at the two. "Okay the trade is accepted. If anyone asks, I'll tell them that you traded, but not who you traded."

Ekko nodded to Jayce and the two boys left as fast as they came. Veigar knowing he wasn't needed anymore also left. Leaving the two girls.

Janna looked at her knew card. "I feel like I'm back stabbing a friend."

"Granted the stakes are high, it's still only a game." Ashe said. "We have to plan our moves carefully, and getting rid of Vi's card was a smart move, we wouldn't be able to take her out of the game this early."

"You're underestimating Lux, she isn't going to be eliminated that easily."

"Easier than Vi at least." Ashe held the door for Janna, "We gotta start moving now though, I'm sure other players saw us leave with Ekko and Jayce."

Janna nodded and the two left the dark rec room.

...

As soon as Akali pushed the door open Taliyah fell onto the floor. She could feel her face was dotted with sweat from being confined for too long. She fanned herself and stood back up.

Akali stepped around her and opened the rec room door. Peering outside she checked if Ashe and Janna were really gone. It was hard to tell in the dark, though she didn't hear anything besides Taliyah complaining. She rounded on her, "Go back to hiding and don't say anything about what you heard."

Taliyah stopped fanning herself and looked at Akali. She looked serious, so Taliyah held her hands up in surrender. She wasn't being eliminated so she figured she was ok for now.

Akali nodded. She left the room, intent on finding Lux.

Once Akali was gone, Taliyah went back to the closet. She stopped as an idea formed. She turned around and crept back through the hallways. Peeking down its length, she could faintly hear where Akali had left. She ran in the opposite direction, hoping Ashe had gone that way.

…

"This is cruel and unusual punishment!" Jinx said, kicking her feet back and forth in her chair.

Ahri clicked her tongue as she pulled away from Jinx's face. The eyeliner pencil pausing in its work. Jinx stared at Ahri refusing to back down. Ahri rolled her eyes. "If you don't hold still it'll only get worse." She leaned forward again, hand cupping Jinx's chin to hold her still. "After this, we can lay down some foundation and blush, then we'll style your hair."

"Couldn't you gotten someone else?" Jinx whined.

"It's more fun with you. Plus you can stand to be more girly sometimes. Add some more color to your skin."

Jinx snorted, "Not my style Princess."

Off to the side Sarah lounged with Syndra and Soraka (the two of them busy with their own styling at Soraka's insistence) and watching the whole thing. It was amusing to see Ahri fuss over Jinx as if the girl was a new doll to dress up. No doubt Ahri had packed an excessive amount of cosmetics to abuse. Sarah didn't understand why, it was a school trip and there was certainly no nightlife in this nowhere town. Plus, Ms Laurent and Professor Ryze would shut down any night time excursions they discovered. Ahri would have been grounded for the rest of the trip if she got caught. Sarah continued to watch either way, this was at least entertaining.

Several minutes passed in silence, Jinx having given up her fight, as Ahri layered on more makeup. When she was finished, Jinx's normally pale complexion was now full of color. Ahri pat herself on the back as she held up the mirror for Jinx to appreciate. Even Jinx couldn't argue that she was looking damn good, even if this was a far cry from her usual styling. The wingtips were really sharp though.

Once makeup was done, Ahri moved onto Jinx's hair. Ahri was removing Jinx's braids with a brush, none too gently in Sarah's opinion. The brush pulled away, and there were several strands of distinctly blue hair left tangled in the bristles.

Ahri fluffed the hair up with her hands. "With your hair down you don't look as bad as I thought you would." She said, tilting Jinx's head this way and that.

"Thanks…" Jinx said. Her flat tone doing nothing to hide her irritation.

Ahri looked over to Sarah, "What do you think, maybe curl it some?"

"Whatever you do, just don't cut it!" Jinx said. She sent a death glare to both girls.

Sarah stood up and paced around Jinx, tapping her chin as she went. "We should part it off to one side, having it come straight down from the center makes her head look all egg shaped."

"Egg shaped!?"

"Oh, then we definitely need to add some volume. We'll need to grab some more of my product from my room." Ahri ignored Jinx glaring at her.

Jinx sighed, she was going to be stuck here for the remainder of the day it seemed.

"I'll grab it." Sarah said. Ahri looked over to Syndra, silently suggesting the girl go with her. Sarah shook her head, she wasn't helpless. "I saw Ashe and Janna slink off somewhere, and Xayah and Rakan have gone into hiding since our failed ambush. I should be fine." She reassured them.

"Syndra go with her anyways." Ahri said. She wasn't one to take chances, and that meant her friends didn't take chances.

…

Honestly Caitlyn was starting to have doubts about her participation in this game. Vi was off doing who knows what, and no other friends want to hang out out of fear they'll be eliminated by her. Problem was that there was no backing out of the game now that a good number of players have been eliminated. The unlucky few maids would see Caitlyn dropping out as unfair. Caitlyn needed to see this through, and that meant taking this game seriously. If Vi can do it, how hard can it be?

Caitlyn looked around the hallway corner by using her phone's camera. All clear. Caitlyn looked back behind her and slipped around the corner.

She was reaching the stairs soon. The coming hallways would be unlit from the blackout. She ducked low, using the darkness to hide. Being naturally tall she wasn't sure how well she would be hidden. As she stalked through the halls, she only vaguely heard other students walking around. Best to stay away from them, players or not. Staying to one side of the stairs, Caitlyn took two to three steps at a time. Ascending to the boys' floor, then quickly to the girls'. The fourth floor was reserved for the teachers, and so was off limits to the students unless there was an emergency. Caitlyn tip toed up those steps, perching right at the top and peering down at the doorway to the girl's floor.

Only time would tell if lying in wait would pay off. The odds of finding a player off on their own was highly unlikely, but there were still some odds of it happening. Vi was a lone wolf, and so was Taliyah. Sadly neither of them were Caitlyn's intended target.

Caitlyn held her breath as she heard voices trail up from the staircase.

"Ahri's so bossy sometimes." Sarah said in a hushed tone.

"She's competitive and doesn't want to lose." Syndra shrugged which made Sarah scoff.

"Please, you're one to talk. Your possessiveness over Zed stopped being cute day one, and your only competition there is Kayn."

Syndra's jaw tightened, "That's cause Zed keeps dotting on him. I don't care that he's his apprentice, or whatever, I'm his girlfriend, I should be higher priority."

Sarah rolled her eyes. "Yelling about it to me isn't going to make him any more 'lovey dovey'. Sometimes you gotta drop the whole too cool persona and just tell him up front what you want."

"Being coy is what I'm good at."

"Coy is not the word you're looking for."

The rest of the conversation faded as the two girls headed down the hall. Caitlyn let out the breath she was holding. She eased herself down a few steps, hoping she could spot which room they went into, but no such luck. The hallway was too dark, she could make out their silhouettes, but nothing else. She had no idea which door they took. More quiet creaking made Caitlyn freeze. She held still as someone passed by only a foot from her on the opposite staircase. Taliyah had her eyes locked on the hallway, she froze when she saw Syndra and Sarah. Once they slipped into a room and Taliyah knew the hallway was empty she darted to a separate room. She knocked quietly, and then whispered. When she got no response she moved to a different one. When she got no answer again, she cursed to herself she ran back down the stairs. Weird, but nothing to be concerned about yet. Caitlyn sighed in relief when Taliyah left without noticing her. She crept back up the steps and perched low as not to be seen. She could hear Syndra and Sarah coming back out into the hallway.

"Ahri carries too much crap with her." Syndra said, arms full of hair products.

"You have to admit it's a little fun." Sarah said, her arms also full. "Oh wait." She stopped at the base of the stairs, and Caitlyn held her breath for the third time. "We should grab some of Ahri's clothes too. It'll be fun making Jinx parade in different outfits."

"Here" Syndra dumped her armful into Sarah's. "I'll grab it."

Sarah wanted to protest, but was too preoccupied with trying not to drop anything. A can of something, Sarah wasn't exactly sure, hit the floor. It landed on the pump spilling its content on the nice wood. Sarah hissed and turned to yell at Syndra but the girl was already down the hallway. Caitlyn eased forward this was a good opportunity. Sarah grabbed one of the hand towels in her arms and wiped at the mess. She was on her knees when she heard the steps coming from the floor above. Of course a teacher had to come at this moment, she thought. Now she was gonna get a earful from Professor Ryze about respecting the staff and the hotel, they were guest and guest shouldn't cause more trouble to the hosts. She looked up ready to apologize when she saw that it was Caitlyn.

"Oh, are you alright?" Caitlyn asked innocently, as if just seeing Sarah for the first time.

Sarah sighed in relief. Glad she wasn't in trouble with a teacher, but still a little on edge since Caitlyn was a player. She shot a quick glance to see if Syndra hadn't disappeared yet. No such luck, the door to Ahri's room was already swinging closed. She hissed a curse under her breath. "Just dropped some stupid-" She picked up the bottle and squinted at the label. "-hair glue?"

"Here, I think I have a handkerchief you can use." Caitlyn fussed with her kimono.

"It's fine, it didn't spill that much." Sarah tried to wave her off and continued to wipe the hair glue, then paused as she saw a handkerchief slip into her view. For a second Sarah thought Caitlyn got the drop on her. Then sighed in relief as she took the bit of cloth, Caitlyn really wasn't suited for a game of deceit. She was too much of a stickler for rules, and sought to help when she could. "Thanks, Cait." She mumbled

Caitlyn glanced down the hall to see that Syndra still hadn't come back yet. She idly felt for the card she had. She carefully shifted herself around Sarah as to block off the hallway. It was just dark enough that maybe she could get away with an elimination even if a witness was in the hall.

Sarah stood back up. She adjusted her grip on the hair products, making sure none would slip as she held Caitlyn's handkerchief. "For a second there, I thought you were going to get me."

"Get you- oh." Caitlyn feigned innocence again, and took her handkerchief back. Thankful that her voice didn't crack, or that she didn't have any obvious tells. "Right the game. Sorry, I forget I'm suppose to be playing. Half the time I'm just bored cause Vi doesn't want to hang out while it's going."

"Careful, an attitude like that and you'll find yourself in a maid uniform." Sarah said mischievously.

"Vi said something similar, about trusting too easily." Caitlyn smirked. "I mean, just because someone doesn't strike right away, doesn't mean they won't"

Sarah froze as she realized Caitlyn had been standing in the way of the hallway. Caitlyn took the card from her kimono and held it out to Sarah. Even in the dark there was enough light for Sarah to read her name clearly. She couldn't help feel the smirk on her face grow. "Well played sheriff. Got me to drop my guard." She took her own card out and flicked it into Caitlyn's chest. "Have fun hunting that one."

Caitlyn caught the card awkwardly. She flipped it around and read the name. "He shouldn't be too much trouble."

The two heard the tell tale click of a door. Finally Syndra emerged from Ahri's room. In her grasp she was pulling a large suitcase free from the door frame. Sarah walked over to help, followed closely by Caitlyn. Syndra stopped pulling when she noticed that Sarah wasn't alone. Her eyes bounced back between her friend and the brunette. Caitlyn looked pleased, while Sarah gave only a half hearted shrug. "Dammit Sarah."

…

Xayah and Rakan waited in his room. Rakan lounged with Tristana and Poppy, making the two play a simple card game with him. Tristana wasn't going to start complaining. This was harmless compared to other orders she got. Even Poppy seemed to forget she was here in maid uniform. Poppy smiled and placed down a winning hand, and congratulated herself. Rakan face dropped, "Hey you're suppose to let me win!" He said.

"Rakan shut it." Xayah had been pacing around the room since Ashe left with Janna. "Ashe was suppose to be back by now."

"You're worried bout nothin' babe." Rakan threw his cards into the pile, and gestured for Tristana to reshuffle and start the game over. "We sent the purple one-"

"Lulu" Poppy piped up, half annoyed.

"Right, Lulu." Rakan gave a thumbs up, thanking her for the reminder, "We sent Lulu out to look only, like, five minutes ago. They'll get back when the get back."

Xayah smiled, leave it to Rakan to be too laid back. Game or not, this was a competition, a competition she for sure was going to crush Ahri in. Even if Ashe was 'leading' them to victory, Xayah was going to make sure Ahri lost to her personally.

There was a knock on the door. Two knocks, a pause, then two more, and then Lulu peeked inside. "I saw Ashe and Janna downstairs, they're coming up now."

"Finally." Xayah stopped pacing and fell into Rakan's waiting lap. Tristana and Poppy packed away the cards and shifted over so the two had more space.

As soon as everyone got comfortable. Ashe stepped inside followed closely by Janna.

Xayah waited until the door swung close again. "Well?"

"We got rid of Janna's card." Ashe said evenly. "So we are no longer stuck with Vi as a target."

"Only a trade?" Xayah pursed her lips. "Here I thought those two wanted to team up."

"Ekko knows better, his group isn't pitted against anyone, with the exception of maybe Lux's duo. He isn't in need of a team up."

"I guess that makes sense." Xayah trailed off, thinking.

Rakan shifted, raising his hand as if he needed to be called on. Ashe humored him. "So who'd we get then?"

"Lux" Janna said revealing the card.

Rakan and Xayah looked at each other. Xayah pushed off Rakan to sit up more. "Are we going after her now? I think we should still go after Ahri's group."

"Oh we will, getting rid of Vi's card was a good opportunity. We wouldn't be able to eliminate anytime soon, so it was a more sound strategy to swap to a target we will be able to handle more easily."

"Then last night's plan will continue on like normal" Xayah concluded. Ashe nodded and the rebel girl smiled.

* * *

 **Players Status**

Lux - Alive

Jinx - Dead (Eliminated by Lux)

Janna - Alive

Poppy - Dead (Eliminated by Vi)

Lulu - Dead (Eliminated by Tobias)

Ahri - Alive

Sarah Fortune - Dead (Eliminated by Caitlyn)

Syndra - Alive

Soraka - Alive

Ezreal - Alive

Jayce - Alive

Ekko - Alive

Vi - Alive

Caitlyn - Alive

Quinn - Dead (Eliminated by Talon)

Talon - Dead (Eliminated by Quinn)

Ashe - Alive

Sejuani - Alive

Taliyah - Alive

Akali - Alive

Tristana - Dead (Eliminated by Vi)

Rakan - Alive

Xayah - Alive

Tobias Fate - Dead (Eliminated by Vi)

Kayn - Dead (Eliminated by Tobias)


End file.
